Ivory Tower Boiler Room

Watch this episode ad-free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get 50% off your membership with code ITBRPROFESSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ On today’s episode of ITBR, I’m joined by none other than Celia Laskey, a genre-defying author in the queer literature community. On a broad scale, we touch upon the idiosyncrasies of being a closeted celebrity, the thin veil of liberalism in Ho...

Watch this episode ad-free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get 50% off your membership with code ITBRPROFESSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Joining me today on ITBR is Jonathan Parks-Ramage, a critically acclaimed gay author based in LA. As a playwright, screenwriter, journalist and novelist, Jonathan is at the forefront of portraying queer stories and platforming an exciting array of...

Watch this episode ad-free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get 50% off your membership with code ITBRPROFESSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Fellow podcaster David Armstrong of Broadway Nation joins us today on ITBR to discuss the evolution of musical theatre! David is a producer and writer who teaches at the University of Washington School of Drama on the history of the Broadway Musi...

Want to listen to this episode AD FREE? Go to patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom to become a subscriber today! Hey, true crime friends! Happy Spooky Season 🎃👻💀🧙‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧛🏻‍♂️ This week and next week we will be diving into the life and crimes of Ed Gein- the inspiration of classic horror icons such as Norman Bates in Psycho and Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs, and is most recently the subje...

Watch this episode ad-free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get 50% off your membership with code ITBRPROFESSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ We're back with a special classic film episode featuring returning guests Christian and Luke from That Ol' Gay Classic Cinema, Angela, and Michael from The Backstage Kingdom who are all classic film and musical theatre lovers! Because of our intern...

Watch this episode ad-free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get 50% off your membership with code ITBRPROFESSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Join me and Frank Pizzoli as we discuss the evolution of queer literature over the decades! As a longtime queer advocate, writer, and journalist Frank has so much knowledge to share about both his own lived experiences as well as the current state...

Watch this episode ad-free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get 50% off your membership with code ITBRPROFESSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Laury A. Egan comes back onto the podcast to talk about writing and reading short stories, a genre of literature that often gets overshadowed by its older sibling, the novel. Laury is such a wealth of creative information which is why you'll lear...

Watch this episode ad-free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Welcome back to Teaching the Humanities in the 21st Century! Today we're joined with Dr. Angela Weisl who you will soon learn is not only an accomplished Medieval Literature scholar but a passionate and ve...

Want to listen to this episode AD FREE? Go to patreon.com.ivorytowerboilerroom to become a subscriber today! ​​Hey, true crime friends! I’m BACK! I had no intention of taking this long of a hiatus, but I explain in this week’s episode. This episode, I’m discussing the 2010 case that rocked Canada to its core- the Jennifer Pan case. Theme Song: Pisces by Anne Sophie Andersen Our Sponsors: To subscr...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ We're so excited to be joined with poet and professor Dr. Susanna Rich for our first Teaching the Humanities in the 21st Century episode! Susanna begins the conversation by explaining her student-centered,...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ I'm joined with horror film expert Padraic Maroney who has written about both the Final Destination and Scream franchises! If you don't know, not only am I a horror fanatic, but so is my fiancé so he cou...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Author Renee Rosen is back for her second time on the podcast to talk all things about her new novel Let's Call Her Barbie . As you'll learn from our conversation, Renee explains why Ruth Handler's invention of B...

Want to listen to this episode AD FREE? Go to patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom to become a subscriber today! Hey, true crime friends! This week’s case is a little differentas it begins with a cold case- the murder of a 9-year-old girl, Marise Chiverella. For over 50 years, her murder went unsolved until a college freshman and genetic genealogyhobbyist lent his expertise to the PA police department...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Author Blair Fell joins me to talk all about his new novel Disco Witches of Fire Island . Before he talks about the inspiration behind his novel, Blair discusses his background as a TV writer for the iconic show Q...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ You all are in for such an incredible artistic treat since I'm joined with an academic trailblazer, Dr. Jonathan D. Katz. He teaches art history at the University of Pennsylvania and is credited as one of the...

I was recently invited on the podcast Movies That Made Us Gay which features the dynamic co-hosts Peter and Scott. You can listen to the rest of the conversation on their podcast! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBm_LW3_23w&t=5333s “It’s the witch from next door!” We take a trip to the theater to discuss the iconic filmed production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, which was recorded for...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Manuel Betancourt is back to talk all about his new book Hello Stranger: Musings on Modern Intimacy which explores chance encounters including online hook-up culture, cruising, and yes even bathhouses! As a culture...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Here's a bonus Tony Awards themed episode which also features our reactions to the Wicked and Kiss of the Spider Woman trailer. Featuring my friends Angela and Christian who are also Broadway fanatics! Follow I...

Want to listen to this episode AD FREE? Go to patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom and become a subscriber today! Hey, true crime friends! This week I’m discussing a serialkiller who inspired an episode of American Horror Story- Richard Speck. Born in Illinois in 1941 to religious parents, Richard’s lifetook a turn early on leading to alcohol addiction and violence towards women. He would become one o...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Join us "somewhere over the rainbow" for a very special all things The Wonderful Wizard of Oz universe themed episode. I'm joined with the co-editors of Broadview Press' new edition of The Wonderfu...

I just came back from my first time ever in Miami with my fiancé, and I thought why not re-air my thrilling conversation with Miami based writer Rochelle Weinstein. This aired about two years ago, and I definitely am going to have Rochelle back on to discuss her new novel We Are Made of Stars ! We have an exciting conversation about what type of literature Rochelle writes which I coin "Romant...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Oh what a celebration we'll have today...thank goodness, because today is the premiere of the Wicked: For Good trailer! In honor of all things Wicked, I'm thrilled to release an epic Wicked film conversation...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom⁠ Happy Pride Month to our LGBT+ listeners! What an exciting episode to usher in Pride Month. I'm joined with author Robert Raasch to talk all about his debut novel The Summer Between . As Robert says right away, his no...

Want to listen to this episode AD FREE? Go to patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom to become a subscriber today! Hey, true crime friends! This week I’ll be going over themurder of Mollie Tibbetts- a University of Iowa student majoring in psychology. On July 18, 2018, Mollie went out for a jog near her homeand never returned. Sadly, her body was found over a month later in a cornfield. Theme Song: Pisc...

Watch this episode ad free by joining the ITBR Patreon and get a free trial for the ITBR Professor level! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom So, the ITBR finally made it to see SMASH the Hit? Broadway Musical, and we do not hold back with our reviews so buckle up for an energetic and lively conversation that asks did the musical match the energy of the TV sho...