Gays Reading

Host Jason Blitman sits down with author Leila Mottley (The Girls Who Grew Big) to discuss her experience as a doula and how it shaped her portrayals of motherhood. They explore themes of friendship, family, shame, and the evolving landscape of abortion laws in Florida. Later, Jason is joined by Guest Gay Reader, Chip Pons, who shares insights on his debut book Winging It With You, his love for rom-coms, and his journey from Bookstagrammer to published author.Leila Mottley is the author of the novel Nightcrawling, an Oprah’s Book Club pick and New York Times bestseller, and the poetry collection woke up no light. She is also the 2018 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate. She was born and raised in Oakland, where she continues to live.Chip Pons grew up in a small lake town in Northern Michigan before eventually traveling the world as a photojournalist in the US Air Force, where he met and worked alongside his dream of a husband and better half. He’s spent his entire life swooning over the love stories filling up his shelves until one day, he was brave—or delusional—enough to write his own. He currently lives in the heart of Washington, DC. and when he is not writing or chasing his pup, Margot, around, he can be found daydreaming of untold happily ever afters or on Bookstagram shouting about the books he loves. And snacking, like, all the time.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.comSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Jason Blitman talks with author Allison King about her debut novel The Phoenix Pencil Company, June's Reese's Book Club selection. They explore themes of memory, the importance of preserving and sharing stories, and yes—pencils. Later, Jason is joined by Guest Gay Reader Jeff Hiller (HBO's Somebody Somewhere), who shares his current reads and discusses his new memoir Actress of a Certain Age.Allison King is an Asian American writer and software engineer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In technology, her work has ranged from semiconductors to platforms for community conversations to data privacy. Her short stories have appeared in Fantasy Magazine, Diabolical Plots, and LeVar Burton Reads, among others. She is a 2023 Reese’s Book Club LitUp fellow. The Phoenix Pencil Company is her first novel.Jeff Hiller is an actor, writer and comedian who has appeared on TV shows such as Somebody Somewhere, American Horror Story: NYC, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, 30Rock, and Law and Order: CI, among numerous others. His film roles include Greta, Morning Glory, Ghost Town, and Set it Up, and he has performed on Broadway, off-Broadway, in Shakespeare in the Park, Disney musicals, and regional theater. Jeff regularly performs solo shows at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theatre and improvises at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in LA and NYC.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.comSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Jason Blitman talks to author S.A. Cosby (King of Ashes) about books that inspired Cosby early in his writing, the plot holes he found in fairy tales as a kid, his appreciation of Shakespeare's work, and his commitment to being an LGBTQIA+ ally. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader, author and theatre producer Richie Jackson, who shares what he's been reading and reflects on the personal motivation behind writing Gay Like Me—a heartfelt legacy project intended as a guide and love letter to his son.S. A. Cosby is a New York Times bestselling writer from southeastern Virginia. He is the author of All the Sinners Bleed, which was on more than forty Best of the Year lists, including Barack Obama’s, as well as Edgar Award finalist Razorblade Tears and Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner Blacktop Wasteland. He has also won the Anthony Award, ITW Thriller Award, Barry Award, Macavity Award, BCALA Award, and Audie Award and has been longlisted for the ALA Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence.Richie Jackson is the author of the best-selling book Gay Like Me published by HarperCollins. He is an award-winning Broadway, television, and film producer who produced the Tony Award-nominated Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song on Broadway and executive produced Showtime’s Nurse Jackie (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee for “Best Comedy Series”) for seven seasons. His writing has appeared in O The Oprah Magazine, Out, Town & Country, and The Advocate. As an alumnus of NYU, he endows a program at his alma mater to train the next generation of LGBTQ+ activists called the Richie Jackson LGBTQ+ Service Fellows. He and his husband, Jordan Roth, were honored with The Trevor Project’s Trevor Hero Award. They are the proud parents of two extraordinary sons.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.comSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join bestselling author V.E. Schwab as she celebrates her 25th book, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, discussing themes of identity and the transformative power of names in LGBTQIA+ narratives. She also shares her personal coming-out story and the healing effect of writing. Joining her is Melissa Febos, a nationally bestselling author, who talks about her new memoir, The Dry Season, and her journey through a year of celibacy. Both shed light on the importance of queer representation and the emotional depth in their writing.

Host Jason Blitman sits down with legendary author Edmund White, a towering figure in gay literature, for what would become one of White's final recorded conversations. In this deeply personal conversation, they explore White's latest memoir The Loves of My Life, delving into his reflections on love's many forms, the intimate dynamics that sustain lasting relationships, and the remarkable literary legacy of one of America's most influential LGBTQ+ voices. White offers candid insights drawn from decades of both living and writing about love, loss, and the complexities of human connection.Books and Boys and Big Dinners at Home How I’ll Remember Edmund White. by Christopher BollenA husband’s story: Michael Carroll reflects on life with Edmund White by Will FreshwaterEdmund White (1940-2025) was the author of many novels, including A Boy’s Own Story, The Beautiful Room Is Empty, The Farewell Symphony, A Saint from Texas, and The Humble Lover. His nonfiction included City Boy, Inside a Pearl, The Unpunished Vice, and other memoirs; The Flâneur, about Paris; and literary biographies and essays. He received the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction and the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation. He lived in New York.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.comSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Jason Blitman sits down with debut author Austin Taylor (Notes on Infinity) to talk about themes of ambition, mortality, and the challenges of being a woman in science. They also explore big questions about life, the next big thing in science, and Austin shares an insightful critique of the film When Harry Met Sally. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader Nicola Dinan who talks about what she's been reading as well as her book Disappoint Me.Austin Taylor graduated from Harvard University in 2021 with a joint degree in chemistry and English. Notes on Infinity is inspired in part by her undergraduate studies, peers, and lab work in Harvard’s chemistry department. She has also worked as a public speaking coach and in science policy. Austin is a private pilot, a registered Maine guide, and a bassist. She grew up in central Maine, where she now lives and writes.Nicola Dinan grew up in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur and now lives in London. Bellies, her debut, won the Polari First Book Prize, was shortlisted for the Diverse Book Awards and Mo Siewcharran Prize, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award, and was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.comSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Jason Blitman sits down with debut novelist Lucas Schaefer to discuss The Slip, diving into themes of identity, self-expression, and the inspiration behind the book. They explore Lucas’s personal experiences at a boxing gym, the real-life mentor who shaped one of his characters, and what led to the end of his theater career. Later, Jason is joined by Guest Gay Reader Mike Curato (Gaysians), who shares what he's currently reading and reflects on the significance of chosen family and representation in his latest work.Lucas Schaefer lives with his family in Austin. The Slip is his first novel.Mike Curato is the author and illustrator of the children's book series Little Elliot. He has also illustrated What If… by Samantha Berger, All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle, Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian, The Power of One written by Trudy Ludwig, If I Were a Fish by Corook and Olivia Barton, and contributed to What's Your Favorite Color? by Eric Carle and Friends, Sunny Day: A Celebration of the Sesame Street Theme Song, and Dear Heartbreak: YA Authors and Teens on the Dark Side of Love. Publishers Weekly named Mike a “Fall 2014 Flying Start.” In the same year he won the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Founder’s Award. Mike’s debut young adult graphic novel, Flamer, was awarded the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Young Adult and the 2021 Massachusetts Book Award for Middle Grade/Young Adult. Gaysians is his adult debut.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.comSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Jason Blitman talks to Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy (Let Them Stare) about astrology, the names of their teenage cars, and early inspirations for their book. And Crock Pots. And British accents. And Nobu. They talk about a lot. Jason is then joined by queer icon Alison Bechdel who shares what she's been reading and talks about her new graphic novel, Spent.   Julie & JVN Publisher's Weekly ArticleJonathan Van Ness is an Emmy-winning television personality, 3x New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, comedian, celebrity hairstylist, and founder of JVN Hair. He stars on Netflix’s Emmy Award–winning reboot series Queer Eye, where he shines as the hair guru and self-care advocate; and he hosts the popular podcast Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness.Julie Murphy splits her time between North Texas and Kansas with her husband, who loves her, and her cats, who tolerate her. When Julie isn’t writing, she can be found watching movies so bad they're good, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, or planning her next great travel adventure. She is the author of the middle grade novels Dear Sweet Pea and Camp Sylvania as well as the young adult novels Ramona Blue, Side Effects May Vary, the Faith series, Pumpkin, Puddin’, and Dumplin’ (now a Netflix original film).Alison Bechdel’s cult following for her early comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For expanded wildly for her family memoirs, the New York Times bestselling and Time magazine #1 Book of the Year graphic memoir Fun Home, adapted into a Tony Award–winning musical, and Are You My Mother? Most recently, The Secret to Superman Strength was named a New York Times Best Graphic Novel of 2021. Bechdel has been named a MacArthur Fellow, among many other honors.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.comSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Spill the Tea, host Jason Blitman is joined by Alison Wood Brooks, behavioral scientist, Harvard Business School professor, and author of Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Curious. They talk about her TALK maxims, what it means to be curious, tapping the adjacent possible, and Alison shares what makes a perfect conversation.Dr. Alison Wood Brooks is the O’Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Business School. She studies the behavioral science of conversation, teaches an award-winning course in the MBA curriculum called TALK, and chairs a program for executives called Communicating for Impact. She was named a Best 40 Under 40 Business School Professor by Poets & Quants.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.comSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Jason Blitman sits down with author Daria Lavelle (Aftertaste) to explore the sensory phenomenon of clairgustance, how words possess distinct textures that can be experienced beyond their meanings, and the fascinating etymology of the word "taste." Daria reflects on the delicate balance between happiness and grief and shares her journey discovering the many dimensions of hunger. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader, acclaimed pastry chef Kareem "Mr. Bake" Queeman, who shares what he's been reading as well as what his book would be about should he write one. Daria Lavelle is an American fiction writer. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and raised in the New York metro area, her work explores themes of identity and belonging through magic and the uncanny. Her short stories have appeared in The Deadlands, Dread Machine, and elsewhere, and she holds degrees in writing from Princeton University and Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, children, and goldendoodle, all of whom love a great meal almost as much as she does. Learn more at DariaLavelle.com.Kareem “Mr. Bake” Queeman is an award-winning baker providing high-quality made-from-scratch nostalgic desserts. Mr. Bake and his team are devoted to creating a consistent, flavorful product, enjoyable with each bite. Mr. Bake is a certified LGBTQ business with deep roots in community service and activism. He believes in creating space for Queer people of color in and out of the food industry. He is the founder and owner of Mr. Bake Sweets and a James Beard Award semi-finalist. mrbakesweets.comSupport the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.comSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.