Where Did You Come From, Where Did You Go?

This week, I catch up with novelist Maile Chapman to discuss her new work, The Spoil. During our conversation, we cover it all—lucid dreams, hypnotherapist Milton Erickson, grief, jumping spiders, and the psychic pull of Las Vegas. It's not one to miss! You can find Maile's new book here.  Theme music by Nesasio. Transition music by Pax11. Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

This week, author, archivist, and former director of the Nevada State Museum Dennis McBride joins me to discuss growing up gay in 70s-era Nevada, establishing Las Vegas' first LGBTQ archive, and whether or not gay has lost its mystique. Our interview coincides with the recent designation of Vegas' gayborhood, the Fruit Loop, as a historic landmark. If you'd like to learn more about Dennis' work, you can find his book, Out of the Neon Closet: Queer Community In the Silver State, here.  Transition music by simmys_recycle_bin Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe!

This week, I chat with Tommy Dickinson, author of Curing Queers: Mental Nurses and their Patients, 1935-74. The book includes oral histories of both nurses who administered--and the individuals who received--treatments designed to "cure" homosexuality.  Find Tommy's book here. Special shoutout to Gay's The Word, the oldest LGBTQ bookstore in the UK, where I first encountered Tommy's book! Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

This week, first-time author Aiden Arata shares some thoughts on trusting your vision, artifice in the 2010s, and what it even means to write about "the internet."  Be sure to check out Aiden's new book, You Have a New Memory. Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe!

Novelist Alejandro Heredia kicks off the new season with a delightful and deep conversation about destroying the self, late-night prowls, and the necessity of friendship. You can find Alejandro's novel, Loca, here. If you like what you hear, please subscribe! 

On the season finale, we're flipping the script! Host Alex Schechter reads his new story, "Novice," and then gets interviewed by Billy Lezra, a California-based author and returning guest on the show.  Check out Rough Cut Press, the queer digital arts journal co-founded by Billy; and read their new essay in Electric Literature. Theme music by Nesasio.  Transition music by onderwish. If you like what you hear, please subscribe!

Puerto Rican-American poet Éric Morales-Franceschini joins me this week to talk displacement, challenging myths of the "homeland," and writing poetry on a dare.  Buy his award-winning collection Syndrome here! Theme music by Nesasio Transition music by StrangerEight Thank you for listening, and remember to subscribe!  

On this week's episode, British author C.D. Rose and I discuss travel, found photographs, short stories as jeweled devices, and finding a muse in German Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin.  C.D. Rose's newest collection of short stories, Walter Benjamin Stares At the Sea, is available here.  Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

LA-based author Stephen Van Dyke pops in this week to chat about being a Huell Howser-type, growing up in Albuquerque, NM, and his upcoming public art project: "Rim of the World Road Concert." Support the project's Kickstarter, and buy Stephen's book.  Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

This week I catch up with New York-based poet Joey De Jesus about ookie-spooky dreams, his non-traditional poetry collection Hoax, and that time he ran for NY State Assembly.  Find Joey's Instagram here.  Thanks for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

Two-spirit writer Carson Faust joins me this week to talk grandmothers, the supernatural, and our mutual love for Fiona Apple. His story, 'Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected,' is published in the new all-Indigenous anthology Never Whistle At Night. Buy it here.  Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

I'm talking dreams this week with poet Wendy Chen. Wendy is the author of Unearthings (Tavern) and the forthcoming novel, Their Divine Fires (Algonquin). Buy it here.  Thanks for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

Poet Nabila Lovelace joins me this week to talk growing up in Queens, community as a foundation of poetry, and repurposing Homer's Iliad in her debut collection, Sons of Achilles.  Buy her book here.  If you liked this episode, please subscribe!

This week I catch up with Anthony Rey Lucas, co-host of At the CCC, a weekly podcast on queer recovery. During our conversation, we get into the importance of connection, abstinence versus moderation, Vedantan teachings, and grounding yourself in the now.  Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

Poet Sam Sax joins me to discuss his newest collection, Pig. We also get into poetry readings as politically transformative spaces, embodied research, ecology, and the charms of used bookstores.  Find his book here and follow him @samsax1. Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe!

This week I catch up with LA-based painter Andrew Holmquist to talk Berlin, first-person painting, and the enduring influence of Twin Peaks. Follow his work @andewhq. Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

On this week's episode, poet Xiaoqiu Qiu and I discuss landscape as a unifying force, performing identity, and how poems are like constellations. Find out more about Xiaoqiu's work at his website.  Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe!

This week I sit down with Edgar Gomez, author of High-Risk Homosexual, to discuss queer joy, writing about his mother, and living through the Pulse massacre in 2016. Follow Edgar @otroedgargomez Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

LA-based playwright and essayist Agnes Borinsky joins me this week to discuss trans naturalism, building trust in your creative process, and the inspiration behind her play 'The Trees.' Follow Agnes' work at rustchukfarm.org. Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

In this wide-ranging talk with San Francisco-based photographer and astrologer Whit Forrester, we cover meditation 101, the freedom of the open road, photographing houseplants, and a standout Sarah McLachlan music video from the 90s. Follow Whit @whitforrester and to book an astrology reading, visit: astroscheduler.com Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

This week, visual artist, educator & witch Edgar Fabián Frías discusses what it means to trust your intuition as an artist. Their advice for artists and writers currently navigating the tricky world of MFA programs is also invaluable. Follow Edgar @edgarfabianfrias  Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe!

Fellow travel writer—and Instagram celebrity—Chadner Navarro joins me on this week's episode to discuss the life of a wandering scribe. You can follow his travels @chadner and read his work in Condé Nast Traveler, The Strategist, Travel+Leisure, Vogue, and other publications.  Thank you for listening, and please remember to subscribe!

New York-based burlesque dancer Fancy Feast is the debut author of a new essay collection titled 'Naked: On Sex, Work and Other Burlesques' (Algonquin). On this scintillating episode, we discuss her writing process, sexual empowerment, and what it's like being naked in front of an audience. To follow her work, find her @fancyfeastburlesque.  If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to my show! 

Las Vegas-based writer and editor Billy Lezra joins me on this episode for a heart-to-heart about addiction, radical honesty, and battling inner demons. Check out Billy's digital arts journal @roughcutpress for fiction, visual art, poetry and interviews with queer writers; and follow their own work @b.lezra If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe!

On this episode, I welcome actor, filmmaker, and dancer Summer Minerva. Their new documentary, Summer Within, follows them on a journey to Naples, Italy. Keep up with Summer through their Instagram accounts @iamsummerminerva and @summerwithinfilm   Please don't forget to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode!