It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 42: Vinny Cusenza!
Vinny Cusenza shares his novel Blood and Soil. We discuss setting a romance and thriller against the American Nazi movement in the 1950s, and how that shaped the gay closet. We then correlate that history to the echoes of it we’re feeling today.
Bio:
Vinny Cusenza writes across genres, but always from the heart. Whether in his literary debut Blood and Soil or his personal essays and travel meditations, Vinny explores the nuances of identity, place, and the quiet power of human connection.
A native New Yorker with a photographer’s eye and a wanderer’s soul, he has won awards for his photography, founded a boutique New England inn, and once sang with Liza Minnelli in Central Park. His work blends emotional honesty with lyrical precision—and just a touch of mischief.
Vinny lives in Brooklyn with husband Steve and the spirit of Neko, their dearly departed, transsexual cat. When he’s not writing or editing, he’s likely photographing the boroughs or planning his next travel dispatch.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 24: Michael G. Williams!
Michael G. Williams returns to share his collected novellas: Servant Sovereign AND his latest novel, Children of Solitude. We talk about real estate demons being thwarted by witches dipping through time, and then about supernatural horror as a genre that truly peels back the human experience and forces characters (and us) to find joy and love through the dark times!
Bio:
MICHAEL G WILLIAMS writes queer-themed speculative fiction celebrating the unexpected ways we outsiders find ourselves and our people at the heart of the mysterious and the macabre. He’s a member of HWA and SFWA and is on the NC Writers Network Board of Trustees.
He also co-hosts Arcane Carolinas, an award-winning podcast about the myths and legends of his native region. Michael studied Performance Studies at UNC Chapel Hill and Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State, and is a brother in both Mu Beta Psi and St. Anthony Hall.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
September 23, 2022
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 7, Episode 38: Michael G. Williams + Our Review of Wildhood!
Michael G. Williams returns to discuss queer futures and queer joy as seen in his SERVANT/SOVEREIGN and Autumn noir detective novels. We then review Wildhood and share who won our week.
Bio:
Michael G. Williams writes queer-themed science fiction, urban fantasy, and horror celebrating monsters, macabre humor, and subverted expectations. He’s the author of three series for Falstaff Books: the award-winning vampire/urban fantasy series The Withrow Chronicles; a new urban fantasy series featuring real estate, time travel, and San Francisco’s most beloved historical figures, SERVANT/SOVEREIGN; and the science fiction noir Autumn detective novels. Michael also co-hosts Arcane Carolinas, hosts and produces Social Distancing Radio, and contributes to tabletop RPG development. He strives to present the humor and humanity at the heart of horror and mystery with stories of outcasts and loners finding their people. He lives in Durham, NC, with his husband, a variety of animals, and more and better friends than he will admit to deserving.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to welcome Michael G. Williams as the guest on Season 6, Episode 26 – Probably Selectively True!
Michael G. Williams joins us to discuss relating the queer experience through horror, science fiction, and urban fantasy. We dive into empowering queer voices rather than exploiting queer identities, and laugh about some of the joys of writing queer stories.
Michael G. Williams writes queer-themed science fiction, urban fantasy, and horror celebrating monsters, macabre humor, and subverted expectations.
Michael is an avid podcaster, activist, and gaymer, and is a brother in St. Anthony Hall and Mu Beta Psi. He cohosts Arcane Carolinas, a podcast about the strange and unexplained found on the backroads of North & South Carolina, and Data at Rest, an information security podcast. He also hosts Social Distancing Radio, a podcast intended to recreate the experience of author readings at science fiction and fantasy conventions. Michael lives in Durham, NC, with his husband, a variety of animals, and more and better friends than he will admit he deserves.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present a Season 8, Episode 35 Interview – Willie Carver
Willie Carver joins us to share his passion for teaching, his experience as Kentucky Teacher of the Year, his love of Appalachia, and his book Gay Poems for Red States!
Bio:
Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. has spent his entire life dedicated to student success. He holds degrees in French and English from Morehead State University, where he focused his studies on advocacy for students, particularly first generation, Appalachian, and minoritized students. He began his work in eastern Kentucky, later studying and teaching in France. In 2022, Carver was named Kentucky Teacher of the Year and Ambassador to the Kentucky Department of Education, where he created a platform of inclusion and advocacy for LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and Appalachian students. His work has been published in Kentucky Teacher, Education Week, and EdPost. Carver’s story has been featured on NBC, PBS, NPR, and other news outlets.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 42: Vinny Cusenza!
