Gays Reading

Best authors. Best banter. Host — and gay reader — Jason Blitman is joined each week by bestselling authors, VIP gay readers, cultural icons, and other special guests for lively, spoiler-free conversations. Gays Reading celebrates LGBTQIA+ and ally authors and storytellers through fun, thoughtful, and insightful discussions. Whether you're gay, straight, or somewhere in between, if you love great books or great conversation, Gays Reading is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gays Reading is a arts podcast hosted by Jason Blitman, with 224 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jason Blitman hosts Gays Reading, a arts show with 224 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #226

  Re-release | Rosie O'Donnell

  Aug 18, 202635 min

  Re-release | In honor of Rosie O'Donnell hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live this week, we're re-releasing her episode of Gays Reading! Host Jason Blitman sits down with often-mentioned Rosie O'Donnell to discuss her newest project, Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children with Autism. They also talk books, Broadway, bootlegs, and more.  You can learn more about Guide Dogs of America by visiting guidedogsofamerica.org. Unleashing Hope is produced by NY27 Productions with distribution across Hulu, ABC Owned Stations (linear and digital streaming channels) and ABC News Live. Rosie O'Donnell, Terence J. Noonan, and Hilary Estey Mcloughlin are executive producers for NY27 Productions and directed by Zeberiah Newman and Michiel Thomas. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #225

  Re-release | V.E. Schwab, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

  Aug 11, 202657 min

  Re-release | In honor of the publication of the paperback edition of  Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil , we're re-releasing this conversation with V.E. Schwab  Host  Jason Blitman  welcomes bestselling author  Victoria "V.E." Schwab  for a conversation about her remarkable milestone—her 25th book,  Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil . They discuss the profound power of names, exploring how identity shapes both fantasy storytelling and LGBTQIA+ narratives, the impact of representation in literature, and the moment that nearly drove Schwab to walk away from writing altogether.  VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1  New York Times  bestselling author of more than twenty books. Schwab's series and standalone titles for readers of all ages have made her a major literary figure, whose notable works include the  Villains  series, the  Shades of Magic  universe,  The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue , and  Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil . When not haunting Paris streets or writing in the corner of her favorite coffee shop, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #224

  Re-release | Shobha Rao, Indian Country

  Aug 4, 202648 min

  Re-release | Host Jason Blitman talks to Shobha Rao ( Indian Country ) live at Camino Books in San Diego. They discuss Laura Ingalls Wilder, the title’s double meaning from Rao’s childhood experience as “Indian,” the book’s central themes of water and rivers, the recurring power of three, and much more. This conversation originally took place on August 14, 2025.  Shobha Rao  moved to the United States from India at the age of seven. She is the author of the short story collection,  An Unrestored Woman,  and the novel,  Girls Burn Brighter . Rao is the winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Fiction and was a Grace Paley Teaching Fellow at The New School. Her story “Kavitha and Mustafa” was chosen by T.C. Boyle for inclusion in  Best American Short Stories .  Girls Burn Brighter  was long listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and was a finalist for the California Book Award and the Goodreads Choice Awards. She lives in San Francisco. Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club  HERE SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #223

  Re-release | Katie Kitamura, Audition

  Jul 28, 202653 min

  RE-RELEASE In honor of the Booker Prize 2026 Longlist announcement, we're re-releasing the conversation with Katie Kitamura, shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2025 for Audition . Jason talks to Katie about learned behaviors, the nature of intimacy, the art of performance, and her immersive process of writing. Perhaps most importantly, they talk at length about french fries. This episode originally aired on April 8, 2025. Katie Kitamura  is the author of  Audition , which has been a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize, 2025 Booker Prize, the 2025 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and the Gotham Book Prize, and has been longlisted for the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Her five previous novels include  A Separation  and  Intimacies , which was longlisted for the National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award and was a finalist for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. She is a recipient of the Rome Prize in Literature, a Lannan fellowship, and many other honors, and her work has been translated into twenty-one languages. She teaches in the creative writing program at New York University. Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club  HERE SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #222

  Re-release | Lyndsay Rush, A Bit Much

  Jul 21, 202653 min

  Re-release | Host Jason Blitman chats with accidental poet Lyndsay Rush ( A Bit Much ) about the unique flavors of snacks, traumatic school memories, and the importance of embracing one's "bit much" personality. This episode originally aired October 29, 2024 Lyndsay Rush  is a comedy writer, cofounder of the branding agency Obedient, and the poet behind the popular Instagram account @maryoliversdrunkcousin. Her debut book of poems,  A Bit Much  was an instant USA Today Bestseller and her writing has been featured in  Reductress ,  McSweeney’s ,  New York  magazine, and  The New York Times . Lyndsay spent most of her adult life freezing in Chicago, but currently swelters in Nashville with her husband and young son. Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club  HERE SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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