Writer Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore discusses their latest book exploring gender, sexuality, and friendship in a world enforcing norms. Topics include 90s San Francisco queer communities, writing process in corrupt spaces, urban landscapes impacting desire, societal norms, and resilience of queer friendships amid gentrification.
Exploring the Queer Spaces of San Francisco in the 90s
Matilda reflects on the vibrant queer spaces in San Francisco in the 90s, where outsiders created their own culture beyond dominant norms. These spaces were filled with diverse individuals like sluts, whores, vegans, anarchists, activists, and more, united in their dedication to creating a community based on acceptance and care. She highlights how these spaces encouraged deep and revealing relationships, where authenticity and openness were valued, a stark contrast to the present-day queer worlds.
Remembering the Joyous Act of Public Kissing
Matilda recalls a time when public kissing, especially among fags, was a joyous and communal activity that symbolized connection and defiance in the face of adversity. She expresses nostalgia for a period in the early 90s in San Francisco where intimacy and resistance coexisted seamlessly, portraying a unique communal possibility evident in those public displays of affection that has since diminished in mainstream and even radical queer worlds.
Challenging Assimilation and Embracing Everyday Intimacy
Matilda critiques the assimilation-focused discussions within queer groups and explores the importance of embracing everyday intimate interactions beyond traditional norms. She emphasizes the value of serendipitous encounters and the nuances of interpersonal relationships often overshadowed by cliched narratives like same-sex marriage and heteronormativity. By highlighting the complexity and depth of these interactions, Matilda challenges conventional ideals and advocates for a more genuine and inclusive approach to desire and connection.
The Search for Embodiment and Depth in Textual Exploration
Matilda delves into her book's structure as a search for embodiment and existence within corrupt spaces, touching on themes of revision and spontaneity in textual creation. By exploring desire, loneliness, hopelessness, and self-discovery, the text mirrors her personal search for a genuine sense of felt experience and embodied existence in a world rife with barriers and boundaries, ultimately aiming for a deep, authentic engagement with language and human connection.
Navigating Marginalization and Friendship in Queer Worlds
Matilda navigates the complexities of marginalization within queer communities, shedding light on the impact of identity-based hierarchies and power dynamics that can hinder genuine connection and inclusivity. She emphasizes the value of enduring friendships as pillars of support and understanding, contrasting disposability in modern relationships with the depth and healing potential found in long-standing friendships. Matilda challenges the norms of ownership and assimilation, advocating for a more nuanced, open approach to relationships and communal possibilities.
Writer Huw Lemmey (Chubz, Red Tory, Unknown Language) speaks with Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore about her most recent book The Freezer Door and searching for connection in a world that enforces bland norms of gender, sexuality, and friendship.
Produced by Sam Kelly; Mixed by Samantha Doyle; Soundtrack by Kristen GallerneauxSoundtrack by Kristen Gallerneaux
