Queer Lit

Have you thought to yourself recently: How come trans literature is having such a moment right now? Then this episode is for you. Sabine Sharp, editor of The Routledge Handbook of Trans Literature (2024), is joining me for a chat about the significance of trans literature today, as well as its roots and legacies, especially in the 20th century. Sabine speaks about the difficult implications of transness as a symbol of futurity in science fiction and contrasts a personal connection with 1970s feminist science fiction to contemporary frictions between some feminisms and transness.As you listen to this episode, we recommend transing transily through your house and following @queerlitpodcast on Instagram.  References:The Routledge Handbook of Trans Literature (2024)Material Girls podcastMaia Kobabe’s Gender QueerDouglas VakochThe Climate Deniers PlaybookRollie WilliamsNicole ConlanBecky Chambers’ Monk and Robot duologyMartha Wells’ The Murderbot DiariesJudith Butler’s Undoing GenderEman Abdelhadi and M. E. O'Brien’s Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052–2072Marge Piercy’s Woman on the Edge of TimeUrsula LeGuinPhilip K. DickCecilia Gentili’s Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn't My RapistLittle Puss  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     How does Sabine describe the current moment in trans literature? Why do we need a handbook of trans literature now?     What might the relationship between trans literature and ecocriticism be?     Why is science fiction an interesting but also potentially problematic genre when it comes to depiction of transness and gender nonconformity?    What is Sabine gesturing to when speaking about the relationship between feminist science fiction and transness in the late 20th century and feminism and transness today?     What can we learn from trans literature?

How does your embodiment affect your perception and thus your writing? This is one of many questions Amber Jamilla Musser tackles in her most recent monograph, which builds on her brilliant work in Black feminism and queer femininity. Amber tells us how sensation and individual experience need to be part of an ethics of perception and why queerness is method that allows us to think capaciously and in connection with the body.Come and marinate in the unruliness of being with us! Follow @queerlitpodcast and @a_jamilla on Instagram for more.  References:https://www.amberjamillamusser.com/Sensational Flesh: Race, Power, and Masochism (NYU Press, 2014)Sensual Excess: Queer Femininity and Brown Jouissance (NYU Press, 2018)Between Shadows and Noise: Sensation, Situatedness, and the Undisciplined (Duke University Press, 2024)Queer Form (special issue of ASAP, edited by Kadji Amin, Amber Jamilla Musser and Roy Pérez)Keywords for Gender and Sexuality Studies (NYU Press, 2021)Feminist Keywords PodcastKaren TongsonAssociation for Study of the Arts of the Present (ASAP)Jordan Peele’s UsMing Smith’s Flamingo Fandango (West Berlin) (painted)Édouard GlissantRonak KapadiaStephanie ClareSharon Holland’s an otherTiffany Lethabo KingAlexis Pauline GumbsAudre LordeTitus Kaphar’s Pillow for Fragile FictionsAudre Lorde’s Zami: A BiomythographyMecca Jamilah Sullivan’s Big Girl  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     What does Amber mean when she speaks about masochism?     What might an ethics of perception be?     Amber speaks about how our bodily histories affect how we perceive. What is you bodily history?     Amber suggests that queerness is a method in Between Shadows and Noise. What does this method allow Amber to do?     How is knowledge embodied? Do you think about this when you read or write academic texts, which often suggest a neutral, disembodied perspective?

Have you heard of the wholesome queer Gothic? This is the cool new term that might just explain why so many of us were obsessed with monsters, witches, witches and vampires before we came out of the coffin, uhm, closet. Sarah Faber and Kerstin-Anja Münderlein join me for this spooky special to speak about their favourite Gothic books, games, and tropes, and about the amazing collection they co-edited. Tune in for seasonal reading recommendations and reflections on gender transgressions in Gothic narratives.  References:Rethinking Gothic Transgressions of Gender and Sexuality (Routledge, 2024)Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764)Ann Radcliffe’s The Italian (1797) and The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794)Daphne du Maurier’s RebeccaNaomi Novik’s Uprooted and The ScholomanceK.J. Charles’s Band SinisterVampire: The Masquerade -- BloodlinesBloodborneDark SoulsFallen LondonCastlevaniaSunless SeaDoppelgangerLara BrändleFranziska QuabeckCharles DickensAlycia GarbayGrace KingKit SchusterJennifer’s BodyDraculaEdgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of UsherJulia Armfield’s Private RitesThe Hays CodeRuPaul’s Drag RaceHeartstopperCasey McQuistonBuffy The Vampire SlayerInterview with The VampireBrad PittNight CascadesHanako GamesCarolyn DinshawElizabeth FreemanKirsty Logan’s Things We Say in the DarkJuno Dawson’s Wonderland (2020)  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Why is the Gothic both a genre and a mode? What do these terms mean?     What are typical tropes and features of Gothic writing?     Which century might we consider as an origin point of Gothic writing?     What is the wholesome queer Gothic?     What are male and female traditions of the Gothic?     What is your favourite kind of monster and why?            

Femme theory, bisexual butches, racy footnotes – the brand-new edited collection Queering Desire has it all. The brilliant editors, Róisín Ryan-Flood and Amy Tooth Murphy, join me for a chat about  what the book means to them and how challenging and rewarding interdisciplinary research on lesbians and sapphics can be. They dive into the multi-faceted contributions and how they matter to queer culture today and also generously share their personal experience in collecting the many gems that make up Queering Desire. Follow @roisinryanflood and @queerlitpodcast on Instagram to learn more!References:Holding Hands: Experiences of shame, pride and protest among LGBT relationship partnersCentre for Intimate and Sexual Citizenshiphttps://www.essex.ac.uk/centres-and-institutes/intimate-and-sexual-citizenshipNotchesEsther NewtonSally MuntAnne ListerLes FeinbergBillie EilishCharli XCXEleanor MedhurstSarah Joy FordSusan StrykerRosalind GillKimberley MatherMie Astrup JensenEl. Reid-BuckleyPhoebe Kisubi MbasalakiLiz MillwardMarie Lou DuretPrudence Bussey-Chamberlain #Ken PlummerAgnesElla Ben HagaiDominique Adams-SantosSkala EressosSapphoSadie LeeLibro Levi Bridgeman’s The Butch MonologuesJack Halberstam’s Female MasculinitiesLadies of LlangollenJosé Esteban MuñozK. Allison HammerGay’s The WordEsther Newton’s My Butch CareerBoots of Leather, Slippers of GoldPatricia Highsmith’s Carol (The Price of Salt)The Talented Mr RipleyAndrew Scott AlfredHitchcock Strangers on a TrainLillian Faderman’s Surpassing the Love of MenGrace Ellis’ Flung out of Space  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     The editors speak a lot about interdisciplinarity and their respective backgrounds in the humanities and in sociology. Which challenges and benefits of working across disciplines do they mention? Can you think of others?     Another important thread is queerness across different generations. How do you experience queer kinship across generations? What do you think the term ‘queer lineage’ might mean?     What might femme theory be? Please look up the term and see what you find.     What do the editors say about online and physical queer space?     Which essay of Queering Desire are you going to read first and why?  

Get ready, queer language enthusiasts and trans literature francophiles! In another spontaneous recording from Lesvos, Mélie Boltz Nasr aka May tells us all about their genderbending fairy tale collection for adult readers. We also speak about feminist fonts, French grammar and how queering language is not just an activist aim but also a beautiful creative practice. To learn more about May, follow them on Instagram and check out @queerlitpodcast while you’re there.  References:Skala EressosSapphoContes D’Un Autre Boishttps://www.editions-ixe.fr/catalogue/contes-dun-autre-bois/Charles PerraultGrimm brothersWalt DisneyHassan Abdulrazzak’s Laila Pines For The Wolfhttps://medium.com/@abdulrazzak/laila-pines-for-the-wolf-3710e81ebbd0Éditions iXeBye Bye Binaryhttps://typotheque.genderfluid.space/fr@bye.byebinaryBBB BaskervvolGlyphAlpheratzUrsula Le Guin “Is Gender Necessary? Redux” https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/ursula-k-le-guin-is-gender-necessary-reduxAesopLettre Aux Copaines https://lettre-aux-copaines.kessel.media/posts  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     What might the political framework of your favourite fairy tale be?     Have you ever used an inclusive font? What do you think of this idea?     What is an example of feminist grammar in your native language?     Do you think nonbinary language is political? What is its place in creative practice?     If you were to invent a nonbinary font, what would it be called?    

Guess who I ran into on the beautiful island of Lesvos: Karen McLeod, author of the amazing memoir Lifting Off. Karen sat down with me at Ohana Saloon, a queer-owned beach bar in Skala Eressos, and told me about her performance art, about working as aircrew as a queer woman, experiences with addiction, and about a new Lesvos-related book she is just starting to write…Warning for the noise-sensitive: you will be able to hear the ocean, the wind, and the many, many lesbians.Learn more about Karen’s work on Instagram @therealkarenmcleod and see @queerlitpodcast for our newest episodes.  References: Out and WildBarbara BrownskirtLifting OffIn Search of a Missing EyelashMuswell PressThe Bookseller CrowCindy ShermanSection 28PolariShirley ValentineThe Short Tall Letter https://karenmcleod.substack.com/Julia Darling’s Crocodile SoupJackie KayStella Duffy  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     We are recording in Skala Eressos, which has a close connection to Lesbian poet Sappho. Why not take a moment to read more about Sappho right now?     Karen begins by speaking about her experience of not being able to be out at work. Do you ever have to hide parts of yourself, based on where you are and who you interact with?     Karen briefly mentions Section 28. If you are not familiar, please look up what this term means in the context of the United Kingdom and homophobic legislation.     Karen and I speak about how amazing intergenerational queer spaces are. Do you share that experience? Why do you think different age groups can learn from one another, especially in an LGBTQIA2S+ context?

Kit Heyam’s amazing history of gender nonconformity across the globe is a dazzling journey into the intricacies of trans history and if it’s not your favourite book already, it will be after listening to this episode. Learn why Kit particularly enjoyed writing about Edo Japan, what they discovered about intersex history and who their favourite person to write about was. We also have a discussion about how biological sex has always been a difficult thing to define and, drumroll, Kit even tells me what their next book will be about…Grab your earphones, start listening, and follow @kitheyamwriter and @queerlitpodcast on Instagram to learn more.  References:Kit Heyam’s Before We Were Trans (2022)Kit Heyam’s The Reputation of Edward II, 1305-1697 (2020)IgboEdo JapanShungaWakashūSexologyThomas/Thomasine HallRoberta CowellMeg-John BarkerPrincess SeraphinaBlake GuttIphis and IantheHarlan Weaver’s Bad Dog: Pit Bull Politics and Multispecies Justice (2011)Mo MoultonHijraJessica HinchyJules Gill-Peterson@kitheyamwriterSara Taylor’s The LaurasAda Palmer’s Terra IgnotaThe Iliad  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     What is Kit’s view of trans history? How do they feel about labels?     We speak about how gender expression and sexuality may intersect (although of course they are separate for some people). What does Kit see as a challenge here? Is your gender connected to your sexuality?     One of Kit’s favourite chapters is about biological sex. How would you define biological sex? How has it been defined historically in the examples Kit provides?     What does trans family mean to you?     Kit briefly speaks about the agency of children. Why is that an important topic in queer and trans studies and lives?

Graphic designer Marwan Kaabour has created a stunning book that is so much more than your average glossary. Join me and Marwan to talk about what makes The Queer Arab Glossary so special: from the illustrations that powerfully reclaim slurs to the essays that explore the queer methodology of the book. It was an absolute pleasure chatting to Marwan about the journey that led him to start his amazing platform @takweer_ and learn about how the community he created through Takweer helped him shape the Glossary.Listen now to learn about Marwan’s favourite word in the book (Qāyiso-l-mā’), my favourite word (boya) and follow @ustaz_marwan and @queerlitpodcast on Instagram to learn more.  References:@takweer_Haitham HaddadMichelangelo’s The Creation of AdamLotQāyiso-l-mā’boyaMāl al-ḤūṭaBahrainSophie Chamas@ustaz_marwanCinema FouadMohamed SoueidOscar Al-Halabiye https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDtRCpWxB1Q  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Why did Marwan begin the queer Arab glossary?     Which three notions of queer Arabic language does Marwan speak about when explaining the submission process for the glossary?     How do we define when a word is hurtful or playful? Why does Marwan decide he cannot make that distinction in the glossary?     Which countries make up the Arab speaking world? We mention some of them in the episode. Please look up the rest.     Marwan speaks about water as a central element in the book. Why is that? Can you relate to this?

Let’s go on a field trip! New York City is an amazing city for book shopping and LGBTQIA2S+ activism. Bluestockings Cooperative offers both. This amazing bookstore and community space almost feels too good to be true: nestled into the Lower East Side, Bluestockings has provided dyke dating, community support and all kinds of activism for well over two decades years now. Tune in today to hear lovely bookseller Raquel tell me more about the shop and its history.And did you know? All the cool queers follow @bluestockingsnyc, @raqthebookseller and @queerlitpodcast on Instagram.  References:Kathryn Welsh (now Grantham, owner of Black Bird Bookstore in California)Gay’s The WordSara AhmedTransparencyBlack and Pink New York@BlackandpinknycBluestockings.com@bluestockingsnyc@bluestockingscaresSamuel R. Delany’s Time Square Red, Time Square BlueRudy Giuliani  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     If you could dream up an LGBTQIA2S+ space, what would it look like?     What is your favourite thing about going to community-run spaces?     Raquel speaks a lot about trust. Why do you think it is that supposedly inclusive spaces do not always feel inclusive? What might we do to change this?     Which of the activist organisations or activities that Raquel mentions are you going to check out?  

Queer television is clearly having a moment and I got to learn more about this from my new favourite LGBTQ TV expert: Hollis Griffin. From the problematic categorisation of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ representation to watching telly at the gay bar, we talk about what queer TV can and can’t do and why it’s so enjoyable even when it’s bad.  Hollis shares expert knowledge, personal anecdotes and an amazing Lauren Berlant quote: “Nobody like their pleasure undone by somebody with a theory.”References:Gentrification Imaginaries ConferenceFreiburg UniversityMaria SulimmaHollis Griffin's Feeling Normal: Sexuality and Media Criticism in the Digital Age (Indiana, 2017) Hollis Griffin (ed) Television Studies in Queer Times (Routledge, 2023)Hollis Griffin's Securing the Big Apple: Television and the Gentrification of New York (forthcoming)Will and GraceLauren Berlant’s Desire/LoveCael Keegan’s “In Praise of the Bad Transgender Object: Sleepaway Camp” (2020)https://www.flowjournal.org/2020/07/in-praise-of-the-bad-sleepaway/Allison Page’s Media and the Affective Life of Slavery (2022)Melrose PlaceAaron SpellingInterview with the Vampire IsaacFellman’s Dead CollectionSusan StrykerThe Fathers Project Hunter Hargraves  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     What does representation mean? In how far it is a useful category?     What can ‘bad objects’ teach us? Do you have an example?     What are places where one might watch queer TV and how do these places influence viewing behaviour?     Why is there pleasure in watching TV? Which shows do you enjoy?     Please look up at least one of the scholars that you learned about in this episode and find out more about their work.  

If I hadn’t already been a massive fan of Nicola Dinan, I would have become one after this! I was beyond excited to get to speak to Nicola at Surrey New Writers Festival and was extremely grateful that she was able to take some time after our panel to tell me more about her incredible debut novel Bellies (2023), about capitalism and queerness, about food and affection, and so much more. Find Nicola and the podcast on Instagram: @nicoladinan and @queerlitpodcast.Thank you to the amazing Sharlene Teo for creating this space and for inviting me to be a part of it!  References:Nicola Dinan’s Bellies (2023)Disappoint Me (forthcoming in 2025)Rowan Hisayo BuchananHomo Sapiens PodcastJames Baldwin’s Another CountryFrancis Bacon  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Bellies is a love story told from the perspective of both lovers. What would you imagine this entails for the plot? What do we learn that we would not learn from a ‘one-sided’ love story?     In the episode, we speak quite a bit about ways of living together. How do you think queerness, class and nationality affect expectations of how, where and with whom we may want to live?     Nicola comments on questions about Bellies no longer being exclusively about transition. Why do you think this is?     Is food connected to affection in your mind? Why or why not?  

Meet your new favourite theory podcast! Theoryish is a brilliant audio journey that may just meet all your academic needs. Paola and Hannah are an amazing team and bring you everything from an introduction to queer studies to a deep dive into a critique of #girlboss. If you’re looking for a fun and relatable entry point to that particular theory you were always wondering about, come, follow me…For quality academic memes, follow @theoryish_pod on Instagram and check out @queerlitpodcast too!  References:Third ReichQueer/Disrupt https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/research/centres/queerhistory/queeringthequarantine/Nick CherrymanLinda Nochlin “Why Are There No Great Women Artists”Igor AhmedovKierkegaardSusan SontagNotes on Camp bell hooksAdebayo Quadry-AdekanbiSue LemosJennifer V. EvansMeaghan AllenJulia Kristeva’s Powers of HorrorHerbert TobiasAnna HájkováMedina-Gonzalez, P. "Appropriateness, Consent, and Intergenerational Kinship: Discussions of Herbert Tobias’sManfred Schubert",New Fascisms Syllabus.https://newfascismsyllabus.com/contributions/roundtable_queer_art_history/appropriateness-consent-and-intergenerational-kinship-discussions-of-herbert-tobiass-manfred-schubert/José Esteban Muñoz’s Cruising UtopiaHannah Ayres; Where Do We Reside?: Queer Space, Existences, and Future Imaginings. (Book Review) TSQ 1 November 2023; 10 (3-4): 550–552.https://read.dukeupress.edu/tsq/article/10/3-4/550/385682/Where-Do-We-Reside-Queer-Space-Existences-and?guestAccessKey=6c2ea6ad-9141-4784-b86b-e0498ad955b1 Karen Tongson https://www.hannahayres.co.uk/@Miss_HVAJack Halberstam’s The Queer Art of FailurePinky and the Brain@paolaMedGonz@theoryish_pod  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Why did Hannah and Paola start Theoryish? Can you relate?     Paola explains the complexity of theory as layers. What does Theoryish do to break through the layers and make theory more accessible?     How does disciplinary knowledge play into the Theoryish approach?     How do Hannah and Paola describe queer knowledge production and/or pedagogical practice?     Do podcasts help you access new knowledge?

Combine the age-old art of conversation with easy access to digital dissemination and you get: podcasting! Hannah McGregor is THE expert on scholarly podcasting, new approaches to peer review and (although we only mention this briefly) feminist lesbian dinosaurs. In this episode, we chat about how Hannah approaches podcasting, what it can and can’t do, and why it is such a useful tool in queer knowledge production. Whether you’re interested in podcasting, queer scholarship or changing the very nature of academic discourse, this episode is for you.Learn more about Hannah’s work (and fabulous style) on Instagram (@hkpmcgregor) and give @queerlitpodcast a follow while you’re there.  References:https://www.hannahmcgregor.com/Witch PleaseThe Secret Feminist AgendaMaterial GirlsAmplify Podcast NetworkHannah McGregor’s A Sentimental Education (2022)Lori Beckstead, Ian M. Cook, and Hannah McGregor’s Podcast or Perish (2024)Hannah McGregor’s Clever Girl (2024)Siobhan McMenemyMarcelle KosmanBrenna Clarke Gray’s “The University Cannot Love You”Jenny Odell’s Saving Time and How To Do NothingLeah Lakshmi Piepzna Samarasinha's Care Work  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     What is Hannah’s definition of knowledge production?     How do podcasts produce knowledge? Do they do this queerly?     Which academic format does Hannah liken podcast conversations to? Would you agree with this comparison or have you had a different experience?     Towards the end of the episode, Hannah and I speak about the body in academia. Why is embodiment relevant in scholarship and podcasting?    Have you ever produced knowledge through conversation? What did that feel like?  

Narratives can help us make sense of trauma – but what if these trauma narratives do not fit into preconceived structures of storytelling? Nora Parr joins me to speak about the role of narrative in trauma, in mental health and in understanding national, cultural and individual identity construction. Nora talks about how Palestinian literature forges its own narratives, why Palestinian literary history has so often been made invisible, and what genre conventions have to do with all of this.Learn more about Nora’s work by following @noraehp on Instagram!References:Novel Palestine: Nation through the Works of Ibrahim Nasrallah (2023) by Nora ParrSusan LanserNarrative Conference (ISSN)https://www.thenarrativesociety.org/2024-conference-1The Palestine Trauma Centrehttps://www.palestinetraumacentre.uk/NakbaRoad to Beersheva by Ethel Mannin (to see how some Arab critics received her work see this translation in the Journal of Arabic Literature https://doi.org/10.1163/1570064x-12341510)Bab al-Shams (trans. as Gate of the Sun) by Elias KhouryChildren of the Ghetto serieshttps://rayaagency.org/book-author/khoury-elias/Don’t Look Left: Diary of a Genocide by Atef Abu Saif, translated and published by Comma Press in ManchesterEllipses (the first instance that really got Nora thinking is addressed in chapter 4 of the book Novel Palestine, page 77 has an image of the ellipses in question!) https://luminosoa.org/site/books/10.1525/luminos.168/read/?loc=001.xhtmlThis article looks the problem of ‘eloquent silence’ from a different angle. https://archiv.ub.uni-marburg.de/ep/0003/2018/229/7792/Minor Detail by Adania ShibliJ.M. Coetzee (writing on this is in a forthcoming chapter in Teaching Politically from Fordham Uni press, eds May Hawwas and Bruce Robbins)https://www.gazapassages.com/https://www.instagram.com/wizard_bisan1/https://www.instagram.com/motaz_azaiza/https://www.instagram.com/omarherzshow/The Tale of a Wall by Nasser Abu SrourMaya Abu Al-Hayat Memory of Forgetfulness by Mahmoud DarwishMaria SulimmaTrees for the Absentees by Ahlam BsharatRights4Timehttps://rights4time.com/nora-parr/Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:Throughout the podcast, Nora mentions how genre and genre expectations (for YA literature, science fiction, and serial narratives, for example) impact how we perceive narratives. Do you have an example for this?What does Nora say about the temporal structure of trauma and storytelling?What might the study of narrative have to do with mental health?Which narratives can social media convey about everyday life in Gaza? Which examples does Nora give?How willing are you to engage with narratives that are uncomfortable?

Did you know that lesbians sporting sportswear is a queer tradition dating back centuries? Or that 1910s Japanese lesbians liked to don a yukata to send subtle signals about their gender identity and sexual orientation? My favourite foremost expert in lesbian fashion history, Eleanor Medhurst, is gracing the podcast with a return performance, sharing her vast knowledge about all of these topics and more.Listen now to learn all about how queer and gendernonconforming people dressed through the ages and follow @dressingdykes and @queerlitpodcast on Instagram to stay up-to-date and to book your tickets for Ellie’s book tour!  References:@dressingdykesUnsuitable: A History of Lesbian Fashionhttps://dressingdykes.com/Lesbian Lives ConferenceAnne ListerSarah WingroveQueen Christina of SwedenRadclyffe HallThe Well of LonelinessCruftsFemale HusbandsJen ManionSapphoMeiji EraSeitōSexologyHiratsuka RaichōOtake KōkichiYukataKimonoQueering Desire: Lesbians, Gender and SubjectivityAmy Tooth MurphyAlison Bechdel’s Fun Home“Ring of Keys”Roots Lesbian FashionGillian AndersonCameron EspositoQueery (podcast)Lesbian Chiquek.d. langVanity FairThe L WordThe Queery (Brighton)The Feminist BookshopFreya Marske’s The Last Binding TrilogyKristen StewartHappiest Season  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Can you name at least three historical fashion icons we speak about in the episode?     Eleanor explains why literature is important in fashion history. In which ways does Ellie use literary texts to learn about lesbian dress?     We use multiple words to describe the people whose fashion Eleanor writes about in Unsuitable. Why is that and what are some of the difficulties with labelling a historical figure?     Many of the people Ellie speaks about combine clothes with different gender connotations. Can you give an example of this? Do you think this is still relevant today?     Do you think lesbians are fashionable?

Can you believe this is our 100th episode? Listen now to hear about some listeners’ favourite episodes, about future plans for the podcast and about how the cats are feeling these days.  References:https://ko-fi.com/queerlitKaren TongsonNormpornSusan StrykerCate SandilandsKew GardensElizabeth FreemanDiane WattBriona Simone JonesYesterqueer’s HoligaysOut and Wildhttps://www.outandwild.co.uk/ Alison BechdelAlex IantaffiKai Cheng ThomSara AhmedAlexis Pauline GumbsMo MoultonAlberto Poza  Questions I still have:     What can I do to make my listeners even happier?     Who are all these awesome people that spend their time with me and my guests?     Will I really make another 100 episodes?     When will Rufus take over as podcast host?

What could be more soothing than escaping your beautiful but complex queer life by watching a bunch of straight people remodel their suburban home in a new shade of beige? Karen Tongson joins me to explain why mainstream television can be so comforting and why admitting to having watched Gilmore Girls for the fourth time can feel a bit like sharing your browser history… In this curious entanglement of norms, shame, and self-soothing, Karen also shares insights into the shifting views of what is normal and what this means for queer life – televisually as well as geographically and sociopolitically.Listen now to hear Karen speak about “surrendering to the spontaneous overflow of basic feelings” and don’t forget to follow Karen on Instagram @tongsonator to keep up to date with her work.  References:Karen Tongson’s Normporn: Queer Viewers and the TV That Soothes Us (2023)Karen Tongson’s Relocations: Queer Suburban Imaginaries (2011)Karen Tongson’s Why Karen Carpenter Matters (2021)Karen Tongson’s Empty Orchestra (forthcoming)The UltimatumThirtysomethingParenthoodTrue BloodGilmore GirlsJosé Esteban MuñozCatherine ZimmerHannah Gadsby’s NanetteThe Phantom of the OperaMichael CrawfordSailor MoonTuxedo MaskGestaltThe TraitorsAlan Cumming@tongsonatorKarentongson.org  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Can you define ‘normporn’ and give an example of what might be a typical normporn show?     What is the ‘porn’ in ‘normporn’? How does shame play into watching mainstream TV as queer escapism?     What role does grief play in relation to normporn?     Karen talks about discussions of normalcy as a throughline for all three of her currently published books. Which type of ‘normal’ does each monograph discuss?     Which show do you find particularly soothing and why?

Have you read the iconic Taiwanese novel The Membranes by Chi Ta-Wei? If so, in which language? Alberto has crafted the fabulous Spanish translation of this beautifully genderweird text and joins me to speak about the opportunities and challenges the highly gendered structures of Spanish offer for this. If you have ever wondered which pronoun or gendered inflection to use for a cyborg and what language might best describe a trans machine, this is the episode for you.Learn more about Alberto’s work on Instagram @aiweip or on Twitter (@Albertop_p) and consider giving @queerlitpodcast a follow as well.  References:Queer and Trans PhilologiesDiane Watt  Chi Ta-Wei’s The MembranesAri Larissa HeinrichsQueer Ecologies and Environmental Writing (module)https://lenamattheis.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/module-handbook-queer-ecologies.pdfKazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the SunJack HalberstamPaul PreciadoAlana Portero’s Bad Habit (La Mala Costumbre, 2023)  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Have you ever read a queer text in different languages? Do you experience gender differently depending on language?     Why do we gender some machines and not others?     Alberto comments on how Anglophone readers tend to focus on the trans elements of The Membranes. Why do you think they stand out to Anglophone readers?     Alberto comments of generic masculine, generic feminine and genderneutral forms in Spanish. How do you think translations into other languages have dealt with this dilemma and how would you translate this?     If you could speak any language fluently, which one would you choose and why?      

If you could pick a gender, any gender, which one would that be, and why would it 1000% be knight? In this special minisode, I get to answer that question with Mabel Mundy, who shares fascinating insights into the genderfuckery of chivalric romance and crossdressing knights. Tune in now, to learn more about why gender ambiguity clearly is, and has always been, super hot, and how this plays out in Edmund Spenser and Philip Sidney’s writing.If you too are picturing Brienne of Tarth at the bathhouse when hearing about Britomart, follow @queerlitpodcast on Instagram and let me know in the comments. To learn more about Mabel’s work, follow her on Twitter at @mabelcjmundy.A big, big thank you to the brilliant team of Queer and Trans Philologies at Cambridge University for creating this space!References:Petition: https://www.change.org/p/support-our-surrey-campaign?This is not an isolated issue! See this list of current large-scale UK HE redundancies: https://qmucu.org/qmul-transformation/uk-he-shrinking/https://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/39800/#call-for-papersQueer and Trans PhilologiesUniversity of CambridgeCRASSH @crasshlive (Instagram)CrossdressingGenderfuckeryEdmund Spenser’s The Faerie QueeneSir Philip Sidney’s ArcadiaMargaret Cavendish’s The Covenant of PleasureChivalric RomanceBritomartMalecastaBradamanteLudovico Ariosto’s Orlando FuriosoDiane WattThe Redcrosse KnightUnaQuestions you should be able to respond to after listening:What forms of genderfuckery does Mabel talk about? If you are not familiar with the term, please look it up and/or check out the Queer Lit episode with Nick Cherryman.Why is Mabel particularly interested in doing research on chivalric romances?Mabel comments on how crossdressing knights can reveal something about the social category of gender that is possibly more important than their individual gender. Would you agree with that? Why or why not?Do you have a favourite knight?

How does a queer, trans or intersex body take shape in a narrative? Dr Chiara Pellegrini is here to help us better understand how narrative form, point of view, and embodiment interact in contemporary storytelling – whether that be in novels, short stories or reality TV. We speak about problematic narrative tropes of trans narration, such as the ‘gender reveal’, but also about how some narrative voices protect their characters from voyeuristic intrusions. I’m also absolutely fascinated by Chiara’s take on Barbie.Don’t delay, listen today! To learn more about Chiara’s work, follow her on Twitter @chiarapg4 and, while you’re at it, stay in touch with the podcast on Instagram @queerlitpodcast.    References: Pellegrini, Chiara. Trans Narrators: First-Person Form and the Gendered Body in Contemporary Literature. Edinburgh University Press, 2025.Gillis, Stacy and Chiara Pellegrini (eds.) The Cultural Politics of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Special Issue of Feminist Theory 25.4 (2024).Mejeur, Cody and Chiara Pellegrini (eds.) Trans/forming Narrative Studies. Special Issue of Narrative 32.2 (2024).Pellegrini, Chiara. ‘Anticipating the Plot: Overdetermining Heteronormative Destiny on the Twenty-First- Century Screen’, Textual Practice (2022): 1-23.Pellegrini, Chiara. ‘“Declining to Describe”: Intersex Narrators and Textual Visibility’. Interdisciplinary and Global Perspectives on Intersex. Ed. Megan Walker (Palgrave, 2022): 49-64.ISSN International Society for the Study of Narrativehttps://www.thenarrativesociety.org/2024-conference-1Narrative for Social Justicehttps://www.thenarrativesociety.org/n4sjJay Prosser’s Second SkinsTravis Alabanza’s None of the AboveCalvin Gimpelevic’s Invasions: StoriesSusan Lanser “Queering Narrative Voice” Textual Practice 32.6 (2018)Sara Taylor’s The LaurasJordy Rosenberg’s Confessions of the FoxJeffrey Eugenides’ MiddlesexMarquis Bey’s Black Trans FeminismHida Viloria - Born Both: An Intersex Life (Hachette 2017)Hannah Gadsby’s The Gender AgendaDahlia Belle (the comic Lena mentions)Cody MejeurCasey Plett and Cat Fitzpatrick’s Meanwhile, ElsewhereThe UltimatumQuestions you should be able to respond to after listening:    How might narrative point of view affect trans and intersex narratives? Why do you think the first person has been a particularly popular point of view in trans texts?     What does ‘embodiment’ mean when it comes to narration?     Chiara suggests that narratology (the study of how we tell stories) can learn a lot from trans narrative forms. What, for example, can we learn from a trans perspective?     We speak about problematic narratives that conceal trans or queer bodies, only to reveal them to readers or viewers later on. Can you think of an example for this type of narrative? Why would this be harmful?     How do you feel about some of the recent queer reality TV shows?