Skip to content
Sign in
Artwork for Gays Reading
ArtsBooksSociety & CultureComedyComedy InterviewsExplicit

Gays Reading

Jason Blitman

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.

Play
Open in
  • 21 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 47 min
  • English

Episodes 21

NewestOldestLongest
All20Unplayed20In progress0Played0
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • #227
    Tuesday · 50 min

    Liane Moriarty, Big Little Truths

    Jason talks to author Liane Moriarty about her newest novel (and first sequel), Big Little Truths. They discuss what makes her feel like a queen, the lyrics to "Come on Eileen," and that time she may or may not have been a taxi driver. Liane Moriarty is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, The Husband’s Secret, Truly Madly Guilty, and Here One Moment; the New York Times bestsellers Nine Perfect Strangers, What Alice Forgot, and The Last Anniversary; The Hypnotist’s Love Story; and Three Wishes. She lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two children. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #226
    August 18 · 34 min

    Re-release | Rosie O'Donnell

    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.

  • #225
    August 11 · 57 min

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

    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.

  • #223
    July 28 · 53 min

    Re-release | Katie Kitamura, Audition

    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. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #222
    July 21 · 53 min

    Re-release | Lyndsay Rush, A Bit Much

    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. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #220
    July 7 · 43 min

    Thrillers & Summer Book Recs feat. Jessica Knoll

    In the season finale, host Jason Blitman talks to Jessica Knoll about her latest thriller, Helpless, plus what actually makes a "poolside book" and the best ones to have in your bag this summer. Jessica Knoll is the New York Times bestselling author of Bright Young Women, The Favorite Sister, and Luckiest Girl Alive—now a major motion picture from Netflix starring Mila Kunis. She has been a senior editor at Cosmopolitan and the articles editor at Self. She lives in New York City with her family. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #219
    July 3 · 33 min

    What Are You Reading? feat. Nate Berkus

    In this episode of What Are You Reading? host Jason Blitman talks to designer Nate Berkus about what he's been reading and about his newest book, Foundations. Nate Berkus is one of the world’s most influential interior designers, known for his elevated yet accessible approach to interiors. Along with creating award-winning interiors for private clients, his thirty-year-and-counting career has included innumerable television shows and brand collaborations. Consistently named to the AD100 and Elle Décor A-List, Nate lives in New York with his husband Jeremiah Brent and their children Poppy and Oskar. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #217
    June 26 · 39 min

    What Are You Reading? feat. Ryan O'Connell

    Host Jason Blitman talks to Ryan O'Connell (Netflix's Special) about what he's been reading and learn about his newest book, Inspiration Porn. Ryan O’Connell is the Emmy-winning creator, writer, and star of Netflix’s Special, which is based on his memoir, I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves. He’s also written for other TV shows, including Will & Grace, Awkward, and Peacock’s Queer as Folk revival, which he stars in. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner, Jonathan Parks-Ramage. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #216
    June 23 · 48 min

    Sophie Chen Keller, Little Wonder

    Host Jason Blitman talks to newly minted Oprah's Book Club author Sophie Chen Keller about her new novel, Little Wonder. Conversation highlights include How becoming a parent helped shape the story Social inequalities as added context for the book Capturing the leaps in technology in China Sophie Chen Keller is the author of The Luster of Lost Things, which was also released in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Her first publication came at the age of fifteen, with a short story in Glimmer Train literary magazine. A classically trained pianist, she was born in China and raised in California; after graduating from Harvard, she lived in New York City and Beijing before moving to Germany, where she currently resides with her husband and two children. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #215
    June 18 · 28 min

    Father's Day feat. Colton Underwood

    In this special Father's Day episode, host Jason Blitman sits down with Colton Underwood to talk fatherhood and learn about his new book, a letter he wrote (and read) to his son, Dear Bishop. Colton Underwood is an American TV personality, executive producer, philanthropist, entrepreneur and NY Times Best Seller. During his time in the NFL, Colton was inspired by his young cousin Harper to launch the Legacy Foundation and bring awareness to Cystic Fibrosis- a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. In recent years he has become a Mental Health Advocate, speaking on his own experience in hopes to help others. Because of this and the mental health side effects of CF treatment modalities, Colton transitioned the foundation to mental health awareness. Most recently he has been in Washington DC to introduce new legislation that would provide mental health resources to student athletes and he’s just getting started! SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #213
    June 12 · 30 min

    What Are You Reading? feat. Haili Blassingame

    Host Jason Blitman is joined by debut novelist Haili Blassingame to hear about what she's been reading and learn about her book, They All Fall in Love at the End. Haili Blassingame is a producer for the NPR program 1A. She has written for publications like The New Republic and The New York Times, in which she published the viral “My Choice Isn’t Marriage or Loneliness” for “Modern Love”. She was one of twelve essayists selected to write a follow-up piece for the column’s 20th anniversary in October 2024. She’s also been a guest on the Modern Love podcast, NPR’s Life Kit, and NPR’s 1A. She previously worked on NPR’s Code Switch and Weekend Edition. She is pursuing an MFA in creative writing from American University. She lives in Washington, DC. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #211
    June 8 · 53 min

    Melissa Albert, The Children

    Host Jason Blitman is joined by prolific author Melissa Albert to talk about her debut adult novel, The Children, named June 2026's Read with Jenna Book Club pick. Melissa Albert is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of The Bad Ones, Our Crooked Hearts, and the Hazel Wood series. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages and included in the New York Times list of Notable Children’s Books. The Children is her first adult novel. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #210
    June 5 · 52 min

    Ann Patchett, Whistler

    Host Jason Blitman welcomes Ann Patchett back to the podcast—last heard discussing her annotated Bel Canto in fall 2024—for a conversation about her newest novel, Whistler. Conversation highlights include: ⏱️ Changes made to the book moments before it went to print 😔 The relationship between missing something and grief 🎭 Whether Ann might ever write for the stage Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women's Prize for Fiction in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books. Ann Patchett's New Yorker essay Glowworms SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #209
    June 2 · 55 min

    Rasheed Newson, There is Only One Sin in Hollywood

    Host Jason Blitman is joined by the most frequent Gays Reading guest, Rasheed Newson, to discuss his latest book, There's Only One Sin in Hollywood. Conversation highlights include: 📖 Stories that don't get their due in the history books 🎥 Rumors in Hollywood and how they continue today 🪞How the understanding of ourselves change as we get older Rasheed Newson is the author of the national bestseller My Government Means to Kill Me, which was selected as a Lambda Literary finalist for Gay Fiction and was named one of the “100 Notable Books of 2022” by The New York Times. He is also a television drama writer, producer, and showrunner. He codeveloped Bel-Air and worked on The Chi, Animal Kingdom, and Narcos, among other drama series. Newson is a 2025–26 American Library in Paris Visiting Fellow. He currently lives with his husband and their two children in Pasadena. SUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes