Host William Keiser (1/2 half of this podcast) takes listeners on a roller-coaster ride through the iconic bars, circuit parties, gayborhoods, and queer kickball leagues of the District of Columbia to answer this question: is there an unspoken hierarchy in the LGBTQ community, and, if so, who gets to be on top? With special guests like Andrew Holleran, author of seminal novel of pre-AIDS gay New York Dancer from the Dance, and Reverend Brandan Robertson, one of the United States’ leading queer, progressive Christian ministers, Popular is a romp through the most powerful city on Earth as you’ve never seen (heard) it before.

In our Season One Finale, Claire and William interview playwright Roger Mason (he/they) and director/producer Lovell Holder (he/him). We discuss: Enneagram types (9:29-14:40), identity and hierarchy at Princeton (25:27-35:16), and responding to toxic masculinity with power as a ‘bottom’ or queer femme (49:30-55:10).

Claire and William interview Claire Atherton, COVID-19 contact tracer, anthropologist, and Claire Thornton’s not-so-insignificant other. Here are some time stamps to help you find your way through our wild ride of a conversation: 00:00-14:46 William and Claire T. catch up, 15:34-25:14 "Newlyweds Game," 27:17-49:21 All things public health. You can follow along with Claire Atherton's references in our Linktree here.

In this episode, Claire and William interview Jake Henry, journalist and activist turned DC politico. Topics include Jake’s campus activism defending trans rights, fair and balanced districting maps, why Jake deleted Twitter, and getting engaged on study abroad. Jake describes his campaign to protect sexual assault survivors by changing the way his college implemented the Clery Act. Follow Jake’s references in our Linktree here.

In this episode, William and Claire interview Megan S. Pope (they/them), playwright, comedian, & thirst trap satirist. They reveal their past life as an overachiever at Brown University, take the enneagram test, talk about writing trans characters, and dissect the young and restless alt comedy scene in New York City. Follow along with Megan's references in our Linktree!

In part 2 of our conversation with Rachel Schwartz, we delve into the difference between drag queens and drag kings, the experiences of short-haired women at Princeton, queer representation in media, and why Rachel’s family is “gay as hell.” You can follow Rachel’s references in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/queersandcareers

For our July episode (recorded in June), we Zoom into a conversation with NYC-based artist Rachel Schwartz. Topics include her activism, being a “gayby,” and campus protests at Princeton. This episode is part one of our interview with Schwartz. For more, and to learn about support for queer BIPOC in the fight for Black lives, please visit our linktree.

In this second episode, recorded as the U.S. was teetering on the brink of shutdown in March, Claire and William share their top ten “Quarantine Confessions,” explore ballet and body image, debate Ivy League vs. Seven Sisters colleges, and discuss the connection between shame and “success.” // For more content and to support our show, join our Patreon at this link!

In this, the first-ever episode of Queers & Careers (recorded BEFORE the PANDEMIC), Ivy League misfits Claire Thornton (journalist) and William Keiser (dancer) tackle such subjects of world importance as: absurdly vivid dreams about now irrelevant democratic presidential candidates, why straight white 40-year-old men should give money to dance, gender differences in academia, and more.