Gays Reading

Jason and Brett talk to Lev Grossman (The Bright Sword) about the difference between an adventure and a quest, being the hero of your own story, the trials of putting on armor, and what makes a king. Lev Grossman is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Magicians trilogy—The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land—which has been published in thirty cou

Jason and Brett talk to Peng Shepherd (All This and More) about what it means to be real, the repercussions of the choices that we make, the many versions of our lives, and get the scoop on her very first published book. Peng Shepherd was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and has lived in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, London, New York, and Mexico City. Her second novel, The Cartographe

Jason and Brett talk to Julia Phillips (Bear) about different sibling dynamics, the "bear" knocking on her door, and why she's wearing a snake in her wedding photos. Julia Phillips is the bestselling author of the novel Disappearing Earth, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year. A 2024 Guggenheim fell

Jason and Brett talk to debut authors Solomon J. Brager (Heavyweight), Oisín McKenna (Evenings & Weekends), and August Thompson (Anyone's Ghost). They explore themes like inherited trauma and family history, queer identity, and the complexities of growing up. And they talk about some favorite snacks and date stories. Solomon J. Brager is a cartoonist and writer living in Brook

Jason and Brett talk to Catherine Newman (Sandwich) about ailments, weighted blankets, reproductive mayhem, peanut butter, queerness, and of course… sandwiches. Catherine Newman has written numerous columns, articles, and canned-bean recipes for magazines and newspapers, and her essays have been widely anthologized. She is the author of the novel We All Want Impossible Things; th

Jason and Brett talked to Chris Whitaker (All the Color of the Dark) about what keeps friends in your life, horror stories from his time working in a library, what it means to have faith and hope, and Danny Zuko. Chris Whitaker is the award-winning author of Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls, and the New York Times bestseller We Begin at the End. Chris lives in the UK. All the Colors

Jason and Brett are joined by Claire Lombardo (Same As It Ever Was), last month's Reese's Book Club pick for her novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had. They talk to Claire about secrets in relationships, favorite children, Boo Radleyism, and debate Joni Mitchell. What Guys & Dolls reference is Jason talking about in the intro? Listen here. More info about Claire & Jason in conver

In the final PRIDE installment of Upcoming/Up & Coming, Jason and Brett talk to debut* authors Kimberly King Parsons (We Were the Universe), KB Brookins (Pretty), and Santiago Jose Sanchez (Hombrecito). They talk about the theatre of parenthood, queer representation in books and media, and using writing to better understand your own story. *Debut-ish! Kimberly’s debut novel a

Jason and Brett talk to Rufi Thorpe (Margo’s Got Money Troubles) about her obsession with wrestling (and how learning about it was like an all-cereal buffet), having a public persona and the chaos of the modern internet, falling in love with strangers, and of course, @tooturnttony. Rufi Thorpe is the author of The Knockout Queen, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner award; Dear Fang,

Jason and Brett continue PRIDE 2024 with celebrated authors. They’re joined in conversation with Jen Silverman (There’s Going to Be Trouble), David Levithan (Wide Awake Now), and Emma Copley Eisenberg (Housemates) talking about the cyclical nature of history, queer inheritance, intersectionality of arts and queerness, and much more. Jen Silverman is a New York-based writer, pla