This Queer Book Saved My Life

I had never discovered a queer character who didn't die at the end. This book changed that. Today we meet Gregory A. Kompes and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: Maurice by E.M. Forster Gregory is founder of The Writer Workshop and an award winning, bestselling author of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. He’s the author of Shards , as well as the Broadway series that incl...

This book raised something that was running subterranean in my system back up to the surface again. Today we meet J. Brooke and we’re talking about the queer book that saved their life: Transition: Becoming Who I Was Always Meant to Be by Chaz Bono. J’s full-length poetry book, I Can Tell You The Version That Will Make You Take My Side won the Editor’s Choice Prize at Driftwood Press. It is now av...

Why would I ever want to have a body and why should I allow it to want what it wants? Today we meet Jill Rosenberg and we’re talking about the queer book that saved her life: Sea of Tranquility by Paul Elliott Russell. And Paul joins us for the conversation! Jill is a graduate of Vassar College and the MFA Program at the University of Montana. Her fiction has been published by the Kenyon Review, S...

I came out and needed to understand: what kind of gay am I? Today we meet Dr. Perry Zurn and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg. Dr. Zurn is Provost Associate Professor of Philosophy at American University. He researches primarily in political philosophy, critical theory, and LGBTQ+ studies and has collaborated in psychology and network neu...

This book was a vivid portrayal of queer desire. It didn't have a happy ending, but it had a positive ending. Today we meet Lynette D'Amico and we’re talking about the queer book that saved her life: Carol by Patricia Highsmith. Lynette D'Amico is an essayist and fiction writer whose work has appeared in The Gettysburg Review , The Ocean State Review and at Brevity , Slag Glass City...

Between 50-75% of my friends died of AIDS. I was trying to figure out what had happened to our community. Today we meet Gabriel Rotello and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: Gay New York by George Chauncey. Gabriel Rotello is an Emmy-nominated and GLAAD Award-winning writer, director, producer, journalist and musician. He published his nonfiction book in 1997: Sexual Ecology:...

This book helped me understand my brain and in particular the queer brain. Today we meet Max Hovey and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: The Velvet Rage by Alan Downs. Max Hovey is a London-based writer, creator, and queer advocate. He dedicates his platform to sparking discussions about and promoting body acceptance, sex positivity, mental health awareness, and other topics...

This book has a very fabulous determined, genderfluid, and Bi character. Reading her released something in me. Today we meet Sarah Stone and we’re talking about the queer book that saved their life: The Passion by Jeanette Winterson. Sarah Stone (she/they) is the author of Marriage to the Sea; Hungry Ghost Theater , a finalist for the 38th annual Northern California Book Awards; and The True Sourc...

Will I as a queer person be able to live openly, boldly, and out of the shadows? Today we meet Jake Stepansky and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green. And David joins us for the conversation! Jake Stepansky is a culture and care worker based in Brooklyn, NY. He is the co-founder and board president of the QT Library –...

What happens when the world tells you you're too much and you start shrinking yourself to survive? Today we meet William Ollayos and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: Reverie by Ryan La Sala. And Ryan joins us for the conversation! William Ollayos is an educator, advocate, and aspiring writer based in Connecticut. He serves as an Area Coordinator in Wesleyan University’s...

This question has followed me around my whole life: where do I come from? Today we meet Karsten Vagner and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: The Prince of Los Cocuyos by Richard Blanco. And Richard joins us for the conversation! Karsten Vagner was born in Bogotá, Colombia and grew up outside of New York City. He has worked in tech startups for the past 20 years, and has been...

In some ways, the characters in this book were my first lovers. Today we meet Michael Horvich and we're talking about the queer book that saved his life: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. Michael is a retired Elementary School Educator and University Instructor. In addition he’s many things, here’s just a partial list: Poet, Collector, Museum Curator Emeritis, Book Binder, Supernumerary,...

How can we hold together idealism and authenticity even when the world is homophobic? Today we meet Lucas F. Schleusener and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin by John D'Emilio. Lucas is a writer, educator, and national security strategist shaping the future of equity across the national security enterprise. As Co-Founder...

One of the world's oldest surviving novels was a queer book?! Today we meet Neil Laird and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: The Satyricon by Petronius. Neil is a multiple Emmy-nominated Executive Producer who has worked extensively on both the network and production side of non-fiction TV since 1997. He's developed, overseen, and produced over 1,000 hours of non-fi...

We have a new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life on December 16th! Today, Once Upon a Crime Books presents 7 Minutes in Book Heaven, the podcast where we interview LGBTQ authors about the new books they have coming out for us to love and cuddle up with. Visit them online: onceuponacrimebooks.com Once Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Located in U...

Can you have a happy ending in a gay relationship? Today we meet Bobbie Smith and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: Coming Out by Wallace Hamilton. Bobbie has been a community activist for 35 years. He helped found the Gay and Lesbian community council in Salt Lake City, Utah of which he was a member. He also founded the Sacred Fairies. Bobbie started the Stonewall Community...

Am I in love with a woman or am I a woman who's in love with women? Today we meet Lauren Sanders and we’re talking about the queer book that saved her life: Nightwood by Djuna Barnes. Lauren Sanders (she/they) is the author of the novel Kamikaze Lust , which won a 2000 Lambda Literary Award and was reissued this fall in a 25th anniversary edition. Her other novels include With or Without You...

A lot of us get to our 30s and we don't know what the next step is. Sometimes you make a big pivot. Today we meet Aj Writer and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. Aj Writer is a nonbinary writer and general dumpster fire of a human being (editor's note: Aj's words!). After a decade in journalism and conversations with top creati...

This book flipped on a lot of switches in my head. Today we meet Joel Freedman and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: Good Times/Bad Times by James Kirkwood. Joel Freedman taught English at a college-prep high school in South L.A., where for most of his tenure, he was the only out gay instructor. He’s a retired writing instructor at L.A. Southwest College and a produced playwr...

How do I move forward in life without any queer representation in my life? Today we meet Troy Ford and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Troy Ford is an author and editor, and the publisher of two popular newsletters: the writing-focused Ford Knows Books , and Qstack , an LGBTQIA+ Directory, Platform, and Community of newsletter writers and reader...

What this book showed me was how to balance pieces of myself that didn't fit together. Today we meet Abdi Nazemian and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: Another Country by James Baldwin. Abdi Nazemian spent his childhood in a series of exciting locations (Tehran, Paris, Toronto, New York), but could usually be found in his bedroom watching old movies and reading. His fir...

I was combating homophobia against one of the most powerful institutions in the world. Today we meet Tim Jon Semmerling and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: The Deviant's War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America by Eric Cervini. Tim Jon Semmerling is an award-winning author, a respected mitigation expert, and an attorney in Illinois. His books and publicatio...

How do we live radiantly when the world seems bent on our erasure? Today we meet Caro De Robertis and we’re talking about the queer book that saved their life: Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin, translated by Bonnie Huie. Caro’s books best-selling books have Stonewall Book Awards and the Golden Poppy Octavia E. Butler Award; and, they have been finalists for the PEN/Faulkner Award, Lambda Litera...

Where are all the queer people in history? Today we meet Ilana Masad and we’re talking about the queer book that saved her life: Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg. And Jordy joins us! Ilana Masad is a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and criticism. Their work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, NPR, The Atlantic, StoryQuartlerly, Catapult, Buzzfeed, Joy...

Is there any theology in the religion that I grew up in that is meaningful? Or is it just hate with a halo? Today we meet Paul Cram and we’re talking about the queer book that saved his life: Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality by John Boswell. Described as “Honest, a little quirky,” Paul is a Twin Cities-based character actor, book lover, and multimedia designer. For over 15 years,...