Queer Slam

Today's episode was recorded live on July 26th, 2021. This week we have a stellar open mic for you filled with familiar voices and some new ones. Then we have two amazing headliners--first is Cody Sisco, he is an author, editor, publisher, and literary community organizer. His LGBT science fiction series explores mental illness and stigma in an alternate world. He publishes and serves as a co-editor for the Made in L.A. Writers fiction anthology series. In 2017 he founded BookSwell, a literary events and media company to amplify the voices of writers from historically excluded communities. Then we round out the night with Don, he is a queer black male born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City. Don holds a bachelor of arts in political science from Wells College and a master of arts in public relations from Syracuse University. His educational background and life experiences have allowed him to become educated in the societal struggles of the intersectionality of the queer black person. Don writes poetry for Queer People of Color (QPOC) and black people to feel empowered when they feel exhausted because of societal oppression. He wants people always to remember that nobody can stop a mind that’s already made up.

Today’s episode was recorded live on June 28th, 2021 on Zoom. Tony Soto is back as our host after a short sabbatical. We start with our open mic and then get right into our headliners. First, is Anthony Aguero, a queer writer who currently lives in Los Angeles. His work has been nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize and his first collection of poetry, Burnt Spoon Burnt Honey, is to be published in January 2022 with Flower Song Press. Then we have Adrian Silbernagal, a queer and transgender writer and educator in Lousiville, KY. He is the writer of the blog "Thinking Queerly" for the publication Queer Kentucky and facilitates inclusivity workshops through the organization as well. Adrian has published two books of poetry - 'Transitional Object,' published in 2019 with The Operating System, and 'Late Style,' published in 2021 with Nanny Goat Press.

Today’s episode was recorded live on May 24th, 2021 on Zoom. Drag queen extraordinaire, triple-threat, and co-host of IMHO: The Show on YouTube, Alexis P. Bevels, steps in for Tony Soto and presides over an open mic that spans the globe! Then, our headliners: 2019 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow, Dare Williams (he/him) is a Queer HIV-positive poet and artist, rooted in Southern California. He is a co-producer of both of the reading series Word of Mouth and West Hollywood Literature fest. His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net and Best American Poets 2021. Then we have Anya Lee— she is a transgender rapper, online cyber bully, and comedian. You can find her column The Bussy Beat on QueerKentucky.com.

Today's episode was recorded live on April 26th, 2021 on Zoom. Casey Ley steps in as guest host! He starts with our open mic and then we get into our headliners. Craig Rafael Parish is a longtime Film Festival Programmer for Outfest LA and Slamdance, he started at Sony Pictures Entertainment writing taglines for movie billboards and directing behind the scenes docs. For the past 6 years, Craig has worked as the Lead Creative Producer and head writer for Spectrum Originals. He is currently busy working on a follow up installment to his short form novel- The Glitter Pit (a bitter look at fame's failure). Finally we have Jin-Soo Huh, who has spent his career working in education as a teacher, administrator, columnist, independent consultant and now as an employee at a non-profit. He grew up in Rancho Cucamonga in the 909 and crisscrossed the country a few times before returning to his favorite city, Chicago. He's an educator, tennis player, sweet tooth, napper, and storyteller.

This episode was recorded live on March 22nd, 2021 on Zoom. We start with a particularly moving open mic hosted by the wonderful Tony Soto, before getting into our two talented headliners-- first we hear from upcoming Lambda Lit Fellow, Dale Corvino, with his essay on kink for The Rumpus and an essay on the growing constraints around adult online content. Finally, is Molly Thornton, a Los Angeles based, queer, femme, multi-genre writer and writing coach. She is a Lambda Literary Fellow and City of West Hollywood Pride Poet. You can hang with her on socials @molly__parton.

This episode was recorded live over zoom on February 22nd, 2021-- we start with a lovely open mic before we get to our headliners. First is Terrell Green, he is a poet, podcaster, playwright, cat dad, and designer of creative cultural communities. His podcast, "Finding My Faith, Forgiving My Fear" and his poetry audio ebook, "Dharma: Recovering Terrell'' both focusing on his spiritual journey to self through sobriety, can be found at www.tmgreen267.com. Then we round out the night with Ramy El-Etreby, a queer, Muslim, Arab American writer, performer, storyteller and educator based in Los Angeles. His story, “The Ride,” appears in the 2014 anthology Salaam, Love: American Muslim Men on Love, Sex and Intimacy. Ramy later developed “The Ride'' into a solo theatre piece, which he has performed in New York and Los Angeles. You can find him on IG and Twitter at the handle @dramarams.

We are thrilled to be back and to be bringing you another year of slams! We start today's episode with our lovely host, Tony Soto and our open mic, before jumping right into our two wonderful headliners. Ryan Dale is a husband, father, teacher, and writer. After being haunted by the fictional history of fictional characters for more than eight years, he hopes to “finish” his first novel before his next birthday.

Asher Phoenix, is a non-binary freelance photographer, writer, mental health advocate, dog dad, and self-proclaimed tiktoker. They are a Midwest to LA transplant of 3 years, and are currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Psychology. Previously featured at Homo-centric, and with artist & activism organization, Be More Heroic, Asher deeply values the power of artistic expression through words and sharing the lived neurodivergent transgender experience through their poetry and prose.

In a year beset with grief and chaos, we are bringing you the pieces that stuck with us. That gave us hope, made us chuckle, made us weep. We are grateful to every writer and performer who came across both our actual and digital stages this year. Your words have been a refuge.

This episode was on November 23rd, 2020. We kick off the episode with a lovely open mic before our headliners-- first is freelance writer Skylar Baker-Jordan. His work has appeared in a number of publications on both sides of the Atlantic, including Salon, Huff Post UK, and The Advocate. He is a former contributing editor for The Gay UK Magazine, where he lead their coverage of the 2017 UK general election. More recently, he has been regularly featured as an opinion writer for The Independent, one of the UK's most esteemed newspapers. He currently resides in East Tennessee, where he is writing his first novel, which he describes as Game of Thrones meets Charles Dickens.

Then we hear from returning headliner, Roger Q. Mason. They are an award-winning writer, performer, educator and podcast host. Their writing has been performed on Broadway through the Circle in the Square Reading Series, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway and regionally. Mason is the recipient of the Chuck Rowland Pioneer Award for excellence in queer playwriting, an honoree of the Kilroys List and the inaugural celebrant of the Obie-winning Fire This Time Festival's Alumni Spotlight program. They hold degrees from Princeton University, Middlebury College, and Northwestern University.

This episode was recorded live on October 26th, 2020. We begin with a lively open mic, hosted by Tony Soto, before our two wonderful headliners. First, from Salem, Massachusetts, Noah Griffin is a florist and filmmaker based in East LA. A creative at heart, they enjoy telling stories through poetry, dance, and other mediums. Their work often centers around themes of identity, race and of course, love. Then is Casey Ley, a pre-covid Comedian, co-host of The Gay Power Half Hour, and one of Time Out LA’s Comics to Watch.