Listen to the rest of the episode, over 40 minutes, by joining the ITBR Cafe for only $5 a month! patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom.com 

For the first time ever, Andrew is joined with a dystopian and war novelist, Zac Topping! Zac explains that his novel "Wake of War" was inspired by one question in the back of his mind...what would happen if America experienced a second Civil War? He didn't know his novel would be so timely since it was released right after January 6th, the COVID pandemic, and Trump's presidency. Andrew asks Zac whether his dystopian approach mirrors America's current political divisiveness? 

Then, Zac opens up and reflects on being a United States Army veteran and how his experience made its way into his novel. Zac answers so many questions that Andrew has about the military, including what misconceptions civilians, like Andrew, have about the military. Why are politics rarely discussed by military members, and what is meant by the word "comrade"? Zac even entertains Andrew's male homoerotic military fantasy and explains what it was like serving during "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." But, Zac is just getting started since their conversation continues on our Patreon where he talks for another 44 minutes with Andrew. He openly discusses what lessons he learned from the military and how his writing career is shaped by these experiences. Then, he provides an analysis of the phrase "Thank You For Your Service" and the weight that carries as a veteran. Listen to the rest of their conversation on the ITBR Cafe: patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom.com 

Follow Zac on Instagram, @zac_topping, and Twitter, @ZacTopping. And be sure to follow Zac's future projects on his website: https://www.zactopping.com/

Get your hands on his novel "Wake of War" here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/wake-of-war-zac-topping/17780859?ean=9781250814975

Or, listen to Roger Wayne and Sophie Amoss' powerful performance on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Wake-of-War-Audiobook/B09Z4TCS6P

Head to Broadview Press, an independent academic publisher, for all your humanities related books. Use code ivorytower for 20% off your broadviewpress.com order.

To subscribe to The Gay and Lesbian Review visit glreview.org. Click Subscribe, and enter promo code ITBR to receive a free copy with any print or digital subscription.

Be sure to follow @mandeemadeit on IG!

Follow ITBR on IG, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and Twitter, @IvoryBoilerRoom!

Thanks to the ITBR team! Andrew Rimby (Executive Director) and Mary DiPipi (Chief Contributor)

Listen to the rest of the episode, another 25 minutes, by joining the ITBR Cafe for only $5 a month! patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom.com 

On January 27th, the world recognized International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and it seemed poignant and fitting to have Dr. Jake Newsome, a scholar of American and German LGBTQ+ History, join Andrew in the ITBR to discuss his new book "Pink Triangle Legacies." Jake begins by explaining why so many don't know the Nazi persecution of LGBTQ+ people and the origin story of the pink triangle. He explains why it's so important to learn about the connection between Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities during the Holocaust. Why does Jake's historical fascination with the pink triangle begin in a Buffalo gay bar? 

He explains that the Weimar Republic was such a sexually free historical moment in Germany, and why Magnus Hirschfeld, an outspoken sexologist, was such a prolific gay rights activist and how his work still resonates in 2023. Andrew asks Jake whether the legacy of the pink triangle resonates with America's current divisive political atmosphere, and he has a lot to say about this topic! 

Jake and Andrew are just getting started about the political issues happening in America, but their thoughts are so unfiltered that they recorded a bonus episode. Listen to the rest of their conversation on the ITBR Cafe: patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom.com 

Be sure to follow Jake on Instagram, @wjnewsome, and Twitter, @wjnewsome. 

Get your hands on Jake's book here, and you can even get a signed copy: https://wjakenewsome.com/book/

Head to Broadview Press, an independent academic publisher, for all your humanities related books. Use code ivorytower for 20% off your broadviewpress.com order.

To subscribe to The Gay and Lesbian Review visit glreview.org. Click Subscribe, and enter promo code ITBR to receive a free copy with any print or digital subscription.

Be sure to follow @mandeemadeit on IG!

Follow ITBR on IG, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and Twitter, @IvoryBoilerRoom!

Thanks to the ITBR team! Andrew Rimby (Executive Director), Mary DiPipi (Chief Contributor), Kimberly Dallas (Editor)

Join The Ivory Tower Boiler Room Cafe, $5 a month, to watch the video interviews and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom 

What is Romantic Realism? Well, Andrew starts off his conversation with author Rochelle B. Weinstein by coining a new literary genre that he calls "Romantic Realism." Rochelle provides so much literary insight in this episode, and she first explains why after giving birth to twin boys she knew she needed to become a writer! Then, Andrew asks why Miami holds such a special place in Rochelle's literature and life. For Rochelle, Miami is not just a literary setting, it's an atmosphere for her reader. There are many laughs in this interview, including Andrew deciding he'll start a Rochelle Weinstein Gay Reader Fan Club. And then Rochelle explains why sex scenes are so fun to write! A special shout out to Josh Sabarra, who introduced Andrew to Rochelle's writing. 

Follow Rochelle on Instagram, @rochellebweinstein, and Twitter, @rochwein. 

Make sure you get your hands on Rochelle's "When We Let Go" here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/when-we-let-go-rochelle-b-weinstein/17777063?ean=9781662501036

Or, listen to Amanda Leigh Cobb's performance of "When We Let Go" on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/When-We-Let-Go-Audiobook/B09RN8TNTL

Head to Broadview Press, an independent academic publisher, for all your humanities related books. Use code ivorytower for 20% off your broadviewpress.com order.

To subscribe to The Gay and Lesbian Review visit glreview.org. Click Subscribe, and enter promo code ITBR to receive a free copy with any print or digital subscription.

Be sure to follow @mandeemadeit and @skinmedspapj (all on IG)!

Follow ITBR on IG, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and Twitter, @IvoryBoilerRoom!

Thanks to the ITBR team! Andrew Rimby (Executive Director), Mary DiPipi (Chief Contributor), Kimberly Dallas (Editor)

Want more True Crime in Academia? Go to www.patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom or click here.

Intro: Pisces by Anne Sophie Andersen

Hey, true crime friends! This week we are discussing a once-cold case that has recently turned red HOT. We are diving in to the murder of Minot State University freshman, Anita Knutson.

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Sources:

https://thecinemaholic.com/anna-knutson-murder-how-did-she-die-who-killed-her/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anita-knutson-murder-2007-roommate-nichole-rice-arrested-minot-north-dakota/

https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/arrest-made-2007-murder-anita-knutson-minot-north-dakota-n1292089

https://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2022/09/murder-trial-set-for-accused-anita-knutson-killer/

https://www.oxygen.com/cold-justice/crime-news/nichole-rice-arrested-for-2007-murder-of-anita-knutson

https://investingfuse.com/bonds/surety-bond-for-jail/

https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Affidavit-of-Probable-Cause-1.pdf

https://www.kxnet.com/news/local-news/nichole-rices-pretrial-conference-continues-to-be-pushed-back/

Join The Ivory Tower Boiler Room Cafe, $5 a month, to watch the video interviews and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom 

Andrew first learned about Kelly J. Ford's gripping queer Southern suspense literature from author P.J. Vernon, who we interviewed last year about his queer thriller "Bath Haus." When Andrew opened up Kelly's "Real Bad Things" and discovered that the novel begins with the main character confessing to murder, but isn't punished for it, he knew this was going to be a wild ride. As P.J. Vernon says about Kelly's novel, it's "gothic suspense at its most haunting."

Kelly begins by explaining the origin story for her novel and how tricky it was creating a novel where the protagonist has already admitted to murder! She then opens up about her own personal life and how coming out as a lesbian in the South enters into her fiction. Kelly courageously shares her own story of domestic violence and how she imagined her stepfather's death for years, and how this abuse enters into "Real Bad Things." Andrew then asks Kelly why memory is such a psychological mystery and how memory is used in the court of law. Just like Kirkus Reviews' praise of Kelly's novel, where they describe it as a novel full of "seismic jolts," so is this thrilling interview! 

Follow Kelly on Instagram, @kellyjfordauthor, and Twitter, @Kelly_J_Ford. 

Get your hands on Kelly's "Real Bad Things" here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/real-bad-things-kelly-j-ford/17746168?ean=9781662500091

Or, listen to a riveting performance by Donna Postel of "Real Bad Things": https://www.audible.com/pd/Real-Bad-Things-Audiobook/B09RTLMTFJ?

Head to Broadview Press, an independent academic publisher, for all your humanities related books. Use code ivorytower for 20% off your broadviewpress.com order.

To subscribe to The Gay and Lesbian Review visit glreview.org. Click Subscribe, and enter promo code ITBR to receive a free copy with any print or digital subscription.

Be sure to follow @mandeemadeit and @thatolgayclassiccinema (all on IG)! 

Follow ITBR on IG, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and Twitter, @IvoryBoilerRoom!

Thanks to the ITBR team! Andrew Rimby (Executive Director), Mary DiPipi (Chief Contributor), Kimberly Dallas (Editor)

Join The Ivory Tower Boiler Room Cafe, $5 a month, to watch the video interviews and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom 

Andrew welcomes back author Lev AC Rosen to talk about his award winning queer noir novel "Lavender House." Lev wastes no time revealing his obsession with noir film and literature, especially Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, and the film "Laura," and how his obsession led him to create a murder mystery meets detective novel with all queer characters! Lev opens up about how writing "Lavender House" allowed him to bring to light queer history that's been erased in an inventive way, by creating queer historical fiction set in 1952 San Francisco. His novel centers on the Lamontaine soap empire and begins with the mysterious death of Irene Lamontaine who not only owned the soap empire but also created the queer safe haven known as Lavender House. Lev explains how his historical interest in queer World War 2 and post-World War 2 history makes its appearance in his novel since the Lavender House alludes to the homophobic history of the Lavender Scare. He explains how his detective, Andy, a San Francisco police officer who is fired for being gay, so desperately tried to hide his sexuality, like so many queer people during this time period, but once Andy decides he's going to find Irene's murderer, he not only unravels the murder mystery but begins to embrace who he really is. As the New York Times writes, Lev's novel “Movingly explores the strain of trying to pass as straight at a time when living an authentic life could be deadly."

Follow Lev AC Rosen on IG, @levacrosen, and Twitter, @LevACRosen. 

Get your hands on Lev's "Lavender House" here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/lavender-house-lev-ac-rosen/17868139?ean=9781250834225

Or listen to Vikas Adam's suspenseful performance of "Lavender House" on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Lavender-House-Audiobook/B09QBC3P74

And have you heard Lev's interview with us about his queer Young Adult novel "Camp"? Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reminiscing-about-camp-with-lev-ac-rosen/id1527297273?i=1000543422781  

Find all of Lev's published and forthcoming books on his website: https://www.levacrosen.com/

Head to Broadview Press, an independent academic publisher, for all your humanities related books. Use code ivorytower for 20% off your broadviewpress.com order.

To subscribe to The Gay and Lesbian Review visit glreview.org. Click Subscribe, and enter promo code ITBR to receive a free copy with any print or digital subscription.

Be sure to follow @mandeemadeit and @skinmedspapj (all on IG)!

Follow ITBR on IG, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and Twitter, @IvoryBoilerRoom!

Not a subscriber? Become on by going to www.patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom or click here. 

Hey, true crime friends! This week I've got another News Catch Up for you guys! More in-depth cases coming soon!

Follow True Crime in Academia on social media

Twitter: @tcinacademia

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/student-20-found-dead-after-he-was-last-seen-at-bar-on-christmas-eve-we-miss-you-so-so-much/ar-AA15IxAh?ocid=entnewsntp&cvid=05cfcd8ca356469293db54cec8cbf397

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/entertainment-celebrity/princeton-student-misrach-ewunetie-s-cause-of-death-revealed-after-her-body-was-found-on-campus/ar-AA15Ky3g?ocid=entnewsntp&cvid=dc65f8046dc34ebbb5f21f3dc75918d3

https://people.com/crime/2-high-school-cheerleaders-killed-in-crash-police-officer-arrested/

https://www.collegian.psu.edu/news/state-college-police-charge-man-with-public-intoxication-bites-security-officers-finger/article_e50c0e88-6f5a-11ed-850d-b7718485a0e6.html

Join The Ivory Tower Boiler Room Cafe, $5 a month, to watch the video interviews and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom 

On January 5th, 2019, Taylor Ferber posed in Playboy's "New Wave" issue which featured female journalists who explored whether intellect and nudity are mutually exclusive, or can go hand in hand. Taylor sits down with Andrew and Mary to dig into her Playboy experience, and the three of them discuss why sexiness and intellect are not seen as similar concepts. This episode will definitely question your assumptions about being smart while also embracing open conversations around sex and sexuality! Get ready for a deep dive of Playboy compared to Playgirl and learn more about Taylor, Andrew, and Mary's bedroom endeavors. This is the sex in the media class you needed!

Follow Taylor on IG, @talktometaylor, and Twitter, @TaylorFerber. 

Read the origin story of Taylor's Playboy debut: https://talktometaylor.com/playboy-feature/

Here's the "Six Female Journalists Ask if Nudity Discredits Intellect" feature on Playboy's magazine as well as a video feature: https://www.playboy.com/read/nsfw-a-new-wave

Read more about Playgirl's history in "A Pen*s on Every Page: The Rise and Fall of Playgirl": https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a55592/playgirl-magazine-history/

Head to Broadview Press, an independent academic publisher, for all your humanities related books. Use code ivorytower for 20% off your broadviewpress.com order.

To subscribe to The Gay and Lesbian Review visit glreview.org. Click Subscribe, and enter promo code ITBR to receive a free copy with any print or digital subscription.

Be sure to follow @mandeemadeit and @skinmedspapj (all on IG)!

Follow ITBR on IG, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and Twitter, @IvoryBoilerRoom!

Thanks to the ITBR team! Andrew Rimby (Executive Director), Mary DiPipi (Chief Contributor), Kimberly Dallas (Editor)

To listen to our bonus episode with Michela, join the ITBR Cafe for only $5 a month! patreon.com/ivorytowerboilerroom.com 

If you've ever thought "how would I handle sitting down with someone who is part of the same marginalized community but has different viewpoints than me," then Andrew's conversation with Michela Griffo is that conversation you needed. First, Michela is a lesbian force to be reckoned with! She is not only a prolific lesbian artist, whose current exhibit "The Price We Pay" is being shown at Pen + Brush, but she was one of the original members of the Gay Liberation Front (yes, the group that Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were part of). This is a rare moment in which Michela, who was in NYC during the Stonewall Uprising (1969) and part of the first Gay Pride March (June 28, 1970), reflects back on these watershed moments while also having an extremely nuanced intergenerational conversation with Andrew (who is 30). 

Andrew asks Michela to reflect on her coming out story, going to the Mafia owned Lesbian Bars, and how all of her activism led to her artistic life. And then Andrew asks Michela a question that will have many of you wanting to weigh in. He asks "Why is it a problem for you to be labeled as queer"? This is such a pivotal question for Michela since she is extremely concerned with the divide that currently exists in the LGBTQ+ community. Don't worry Michela addresses that while some may agree with her views, many will try to label her as a TERF or cancel her. But guess what, we're going to air the entire interview, including another bonus episode that is available on our Patreon, because it's important to have an uncensored conversation. 

Andrew and Michela prove that nuanced discussions, where room for disagreement is made, allows for them to learn where the other is coming from and debate is healthy and necessary to bridge the divide in the LGBTQ+ community.  

See Michela's exhibit "The Price We Pay" at Pen + Brush (29 East 22nd Street, New York, NY) and look at it online here: https://www.penandbrush.org/exhibition/michela-griffo-the-price-we-pay/

Follow Michela on IG, @michelagriffo, and Pen + Brush, @penandbrushnyc. 

To subscribe to The Gay and Lesbian Review visit glreview.org. Click Subscribe, and enter promo code ITBR to receive a free copy with any print or digital subscription.

Be sure to follow @mandeemadeit, @thatolgayclassiccinema, and @skinmedspapj (all on IG)!

Follow ITBR on IG, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and Twitter, @IvoryBoilerRoom!

Thanks to the ITBR team! Andrew Rimby (Executive Director), Mary DiPipi (Chief Contributor), Kimberly Dallas (Editor)