This week, Tara sits down with Frederick Smith (he/him), author of Tara’s official recommendation from Episode 86, One and Done. Fred talks about his early writing aspirations, the books that inspired him in his youth, his experiences as an author writing about Black gay men, and who he’s reading right now. Works/People Discussed Invisible Life by …

She’s a film director who made a movie called Desperately Seeking Susan. It’s a caper that revolves around mistaken identity starring Rosanna Arquette and a then unknown Madonna. Seidelman went on to direct She Devil with Meryl Streep in her first comedic role. But Hollywood is a tough place for women directors. Nora Ephron came on the scene and di…

Kris and Tara are back from the annual GCLS conference. They're energized, motivated, and… suffering from Covid, in Kris’s case. They talk all about their experiences at the best sleepaway camp for sapphic fiction fans before getting deep into those recommendations. Official Recommendations From Kris: The Man with 1000 Kids (Netflix) This week, Kri…

Chelsea Devantez is a writer and comedian who has a good time being outrageous. She grew up in a family that moved around a lot when she was a kid. They never had much money. She was a victim of domestic violence. Chelsea had always wanted to be an artist. And her dream came true when she was hired to perform as part of the improv team at Second Ci…

Tara and Kris chat with Ann McMan about her latest novel, The Black Bird of Chernobyl, how elements were inspired by previous GCLS conferences, and eco-friendly burial options (we promise, it makes sense when you listen). Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit Ann McMan's website Trusting …

Tara and Kris chat with A.L. Brooks about her latest novel, Make Her Wish Come True and her experience at the conference. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit A.L. Brooks' website Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Twitter: @queerlyrec Faceboo…

Tara and Kris chat with Kristen Zimmer about her latest novel, Forbidden Girl, and her experience at the conference. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Twitter: @queerlyrec Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram…

Tara and Kris chat with Carrie Byrd about her debut novel, Loser of the Year, and her experience at the conference. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit Carrie Byrd's website Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Twitter: @queerlyrec Facebook: @Q…

Tara and Kris chat with Nan Campbell about her novella New York is Losing Hope, which is part of the recent Hot Hires collection, her experience at this year's GCLS conference, and her advice for future conference goers. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit Nan Campbell's website Support…

Tara and Kris chat with Alaina Erdell about her novella Two Women, Two Weddings, which is part of the recent Hot Hires collection, as well as her experience at GCLS 2024. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit Alaina Erdell's website Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our…

Tara and Kris chat with Erica Lee about her forthcoming novel, A Very Miller-Cooper Life. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit Erica Lee's website Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Twitter: @queerlyrec Facebook: @QueerlyRecommended Instagram:…

Tara and Kris chat with Morgan Lee Miller about her latest novel, 2024 Romantic Blend Goldie winner The Memories of Marlie Rose, as well as what she loves about attending GCLS conferences. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit Morgan Lee Miller's website Support & follow the show Buy us a…

Tara and Kris chat with Krystina Rivers and Ana Hartnett about their new books The Heart Wants and Comes in Waves, as well as their experience at the conference. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit Kristina Rivers's website Visit Ana Hartnett's website Support & follow the show Buy us a…

Tara and Kris chat with E. J. Noyes about her latest novel, Loyalty (book 3 in the Halcyion Division series) and her experience at the conference. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit E. J. Noyes' website Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substack Twi…

Kris and Tara chat with K.B. Draper about her latest novel, Southbound and Down, her thoughts on GCLS conferences, and the authors K.B. fangirls over. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit K.B. Draper's website Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi Sign up for our newsletter on Substac…

Tara and Kris chat with K. Aten about her latest novel, Paradise Lost and Found, her thoughts on GCLS conferences, and the best places to buy books if you want the most money to go to authors. Recorded at the 20th annual Golden Crown Literary Society conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit K. Aten's website Support & follow the show Buy us a Ko-fi…

Have we got a treat for you! Last week, Kris and Tara talked to a bunch of authors at the Golden Crown Literary Society's 20th annual conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. Each conversation will be posted individually on this feed throughout the day and in the days to come. Please bear with the sound quality, because recording at a conference is chall…

I started to think a lot about music when I knew I’d be talking to Chuck D, the rapper and frontman of Public Enemy. Some critics point to the group as a revolutionary voice in hip hop. Chuck D and Flavor Flav formed Public Enemy in 1985. Their songs became known for political messages on albums like Fear of a Black Planet. But in the decades since…

Cue the fanfare, friends, because Kris is back! She returns with stories of Pride celebrations, galas, plays in New York City, conventions, and gambling. This conversation has it ALL. Official Recommendations From Kris: Turbulence by E. J. Noyes This week, Kris recommends Turbulence by E. J. Noyes. A stockbroker just looking for sex after a breakup…

Ever since he was a kid, Nick Kristof dreamed of being a foreign correspondent. And that’s what he spent decades doing, traveling to more than 150 countries to cover conflicts and crises. Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for his reports on the deadly Tiananmen Square protests and for columns focusing attention on genocide in Darfur. Kris…

Kris is off on assignment this week. What assignment? We have no idea. She just left a note on our windshield that read "Off to do cool shit." Fret not! When the cat’s away, the mice will play. And these mice… are Canadian. Podcast and personal favourite Amanda returns to the show! If you don’t know Amanda, you can check out her other appearances o…

Gail Godwin has written 18 books. Many of her novels were best sellers including Evensong. Three of them were finalists for the National Book Award. Her book Grief Cottage features a boy who has a relationship with a ghost. Godwin says she herself has seen ghosts. When she was a reporter, an apparition dressed in a medical uniform used to visit her…

(tap, tap) Is this thing on? (tap) I think it’s on. Hey everyone. It’s just me, Tara, this week. Kris couldn't join me as usual, so instead of replaying one of our old episodes, we came up with an idea for something smaller. Here are my top five podcasts and an official recommendation. Official Recommendation From Tara: Blood Remains by Cathy Pegau…

Writer Jhumpa Lahiri grew up in Rhode Island after her family emigrated from India when she was a toddler. Her first language was Bengali and she spoke English in school. When she was 32, Lahiri won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her first book Interpreter of Maladies. It was an honor but it also put a lot of pressure on her as a writer. Then Lah…

Sometimes you drive out into the dark, beyond the city lights, and wonder whether your loved one's intentions are nefarious. Other times you see the northern lights! This week, a very relieved Kris shares stories of lights in the sky, the benefits of not being murdered, and what it’s like to swim with penguins. And Tara’s here too, more laid back a…

What’s it like to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year working as the personal assistant to the billionaire founder of a famous hedge fund? Pretty tough according to writer Carrie Sun. Sun’s memoir Private Equity tells the story of working 24/7, being at the beck and call of a demanding boss and feeling so stressed that she developed an eat…

Grab your popcorn, chocolate, or other favourite movie snack, and sit down with Kris for her recommended double feature. Don’t worry! You still have time before the first movie starts. Kris and Tara discuss two constants in life, Covid and the NFL, before getting into what they’ve been reading and watching lately. Then it’s lights out and no cellph…

Frank Bruni used to be a restaurant critic for the New York Times. Now, he’s a Contributing Opinion writer for the paper and a Professor of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke University. Bruni has written a book called The Age of Grievance about what’s going on in Trump World and the MAGA Universe. One of his theories is that the people who are t…

It’s tax season at Queerly Recommended and Kris and Tara are comparing notes (and stamps!). Kris also talks about her upcoming trip to Earp Division Expo and Tara shares about a recent trip to Vancouver. Official Recommendations From Kris: Maestro (2023) This week, Kris recommends Maestro (2023), the Bradley Cooper-directed feature film about Ameri…

You may know him from his role as Murray Bauman in Stranger Things and as Martin in the BBC comedy Fleabag. Brett Gelman has dreamed of being a famous actor since he was a child growing up in Highland Park, Illinois, where he wanted to make the other kids laugh and wound up feeling like an outcast. Gelman has written about his childhood and his neu…

This was recorded later on a Tuesday night, so some meds have worn off, some are kicking in, and Kris and Tara get lost in a field of rabbit holes… and recommendations! They answer your questions about cartoon covers in lesfic and the comfort reads they return to repeatedly. Even better? Their recommendations are all brand new lesfic releases. The …

Bill Bradley is one of those wildly talented people, a star athlete with a brilliant mind. He went to Princeton University where he was the 1965 NCAA champion of the year. Then it was on to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. But basketball still called to him and he joined the New York Knicks, playing on the dream team which won two NBA championships. Aft…

Tara did a thing! She went to the Sapphic World Book Club's event featuring Lee Winter and is here to spread the good word. Kris and Tara talk about Facebook reels for a bit. Now that Tara has finished Love is Blind, she and Kris have their own reunion show to discuss the fallout. Spoilers around 14:50 - 30:42. Official Recommendations From Kris: N…

As a child, Ed Begley Jr. watched his dad act in films like Sweet Bird of Youth, a role that earned him an Oscar. His father’s career inspired the younger Begley to go into acting where he has appeared in hundreds of films and TV shows including Better Call Saul and Young Sheldon. In his twenties. Ed Begley, Jr. drank too much and abused drugs. Add…

Are all cats ice queens? Are all ice queens cats? What if they’re British? Kris’s Alexa wants to weigh in on this very important conversation, too. We answer a listener question about debut authors that swept us off our feet, making this a recommendation-heavy episode. After this edifying topic, Kris and Tara belly up to a long conversation about t…

Lucy Sante is a well-known author and critic who has written more than 10 books. Her latest is the memoir l Heard Her Call My Name. It’s the first book she’s written under the name Lucy. Lucy started out life with the name Luke. At the age of 67, she decided to fulfill a long-held desire to transition to a woman. It’s now been three years since Luc…

CONTENT WARNING: We're excited that Kris’s team won the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. Tragically, as some of you may have heard, the celebratory parade was interrupted by a mass shooting. Kris talks about her experience and feelings about the event. There are no graphic or scary details, but if you want to avoid it, the section is 01:28 …

Who faces death at the age of 22? Suleika Jaouad did. After Suleika was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, she had a bone marrow transplant. At the age of 26 Suleika was declared cancer free. Suleika is the author of the best-selling memoir Between Two Kingdoms. She’s married to Jon Batiste, the former band leader for the Late Show with Stephen Co…

We've got a packed house this week at ol’ QR HQ. Kris has some big projects out on them lonely roads. Tara’s reading slump seems to have been busted (fingers crossed). We talk card conventions and we answer your questions. Pull up a chair and hang out for a while. Official Recommendations From Kris: Theater Camp (2023) This week, Kris recommends Th…

No one embodies the concept of change and durability in one lifetime like Jane Fonda. She started out as what some might call a Nepo Baby, the daughter of Henry Fonda, an actor who was considered Hollywood royalty. During her long career, Jane Fonda has appeared in more than 50 films, earning Oscars for Best Actress for her roles in Klute and Comin…

Kris returns from a road trip adventure that pitted her against all kinds of weather. Tara talks about conquering her public speaking fear and announces that she’ll be attending GCLS for the first time this year. For all those planning to attend, you’ll experience the first meet-up between our Queerly Recommended hosts. Shit’s gonna get wild, frien…

After recounting their holidays and discussing the vomiting strategies of families with small children, Kris and Tara start with their new year updates. The first? Kris’s new book, Dreamer, is out. You can check it out here or wherever books are sold. We’ve got some good recommendations this week, folks. Conversation starters, you might say. Offici…

In 2023, 83-year old Dr. Anthony Fauci retired as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a job he’d held for 38 years. Once called “America’s Doctor,” Dr. Fauci had often been vilified for his role on the White House Coronavirus Task Force under President Donald Trump. In the past year, Dr. Fauci’s critics have o…

Filmmaker Lisa Cortes brought a 1950s rock ‘n’ roll legend to life again in her rollicking new documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything. Richard, who was known for hits like Long Tall Sally and Tutti Frutti, was a complicated personality who felt he never got the kind of recognition that he deserved. But in Cortes’ film, celebrated musicians tal…

Queerly Recommended is three years old! According to physical development guidelines, this podcast should be able to a) ride a tricycle b) climb stairs and c) walk backwards or side to side. Two out of three ain’t bad, and the less we say about emotional development, the better. Speaking of new developments, Kris talks about her new book baby, Drea…

I was so lucky to have spent a few hours with Norman Lear who recently died at the age of 101. Lear was 95 at the time we talked. In the 1970s he created a television empire with shows that dominated the network ratings like All in the Family, Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons and Maude. These series changed television forever by tackling subjects li…

It’s the holiday season BAYbee! We’re decking those halls. We’re putting up the tree. Kris demands to know how big Tara’s feet are, which leads to a measurement ON AIR. We’ve got bitches stealing Christmas, a bunch of thirsty suitors, and an oddly unprompted promotion for a Secret Santa website. Buckle up. On a more serious note, this week Tara rec…

Charles Busch made a name for himself as a playwright and a leading lady in drag with productions like the off-Broadway cult classic Vampire Lesbians of Sodom. That campy theatrical spoof was followed by Psycho Beach Party and Pardon My Inquisition, or, Kiss the Blood off My Castanets. Busch also appeared in the TV show Oz where he plays a cross- d…

Queerly Recommended is here to celebrate the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike — and also that we'll be covering queer holiday-themed content this year! Labor rights are of the utmost importance and we would have supported the strike as long as it took, but we're excited to bring you Christmas treats next month, too. In addition to talking about t…

Paulina Porizkova, who was a supermodel in the 80s, has one of those rags to riches stories which she talked with me about on “Now What?” in December 2022. That conversation has just been honored with a Clarion award for Best Podcast given by the Association of Women in Communications. Life has not always been star turns for Paulina who was born in…