This week, Ira is joined by Jackson Howard, Executive Editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux, to dive into the wild world of publishing. They discuss everything from Jackson’s gay awakening—the animated Hercules—to who is writing the best sex, gay and otherwise. Tune in to learn what it takes to get published, and what editors like Jackson are looking for... and for all the gay literary gossip and Substack hot takes you’ve ever wanted.
03:01 — Queer awakenings and gay tropes
11:46 — How an editor chooses books
15:59 — Reading, writing, and the publishing industry
18:00 — The "gay lit boom"
20:09 — BookTok and the purpose of reading
22:24 — Toni Morrison and literary influence
25:06 — Queer stories and identity in publishing
27:31 — Solidarity in queer communities
29:00 — The "gay moment" we're in
35:45 — The history of the big, fat, wet kiss
37:39 — Music, criticism, and creativity
42:49 — Taste, book reviews, and literary culture
56:43 — Discovering and editing great fiction
01:00:50 — Sex writing and the next generation of writers
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