My guest today is the uber talented Frankie Campisano, non-binary writer, director, and producer. Frankie has a reputation for crafting dark comedy and horror stories about deeply flawed folks struggling to reinvent themselves. A non-binary punk-rocker with a style a studio exec once favorably compared to "Aaron Sorkin on acid," they are the co-founder and lead producer behind the award-winning creative collective Nice Hog! Productions.

We discuss Frankie's new films that are currently wowing film festival audiences, Breakfast at Berghain , a camp Alice in Wonderland-like adventure comedy, and My Name is John, an impeccably crafted suspense horror film.

I talk to filmmakers Brett and Jason Butler  about their new film STARSUCKERS that is premiering at London's FrightFest.

A darkly satirical thriller filled with shocking twists and biting social commentary, STARSUCKERS examines the dangerous intersection of celebrity culture, ambition, and identity, asking just how far ordinary people are willing to go in pursuit of fame and fortune. At the center of the film are celebrity power couple Bjorg Everglow and Sasha Nightshade, enigmatic icons whose glamorous public personas conceal far darker intentions. When ordinary couple Chuck and Eileen win a contest promising an exclusive weekend retreat with their idols, they quickly discover that behind the luxury lies murder, manipulation, and a series of increasingly bizarre and dangerous revelations.

Over the past decade, Brett and Jason Butler have directed, written, and produced ten feature films while producing or executive producing an additional five projects. Their work has screened internationally and reached audiences worldwide through platforms including Amazon Prime, Tubi, Apple TV, Roku Channel, Plex, Hollywood Suite, Fawesome, Revry, and Xumo.

My guest is the acclaimed author SM Hallow! We discuss the brand-new thriller THE HALLS OF THE DEAD and her previous work, HOW TO SURVIVE THIS FAIRYTALE. SM shares the very personal inspirations behind each of the edge-of-your-seat reads.

The Halls of the Dead is a queer Gothic horror novel set in 1849 London, that follows Irene Shallcross Haley as she attempts the first true resurrection in two thousand years after her lover Agnes is executed for witchcraft. The revived Agnes returns changed—haunted, hungry, and bound to a malignant ghost—forcing Irene and her undead husband St. John to navigate love, death, magic, and vengeance while evading the man who condemned Agnes.

How to Survive This Fairytale is a dark, queer, second‑person fairy‑tale remix following Hansel, trapped inside a story controlled by a cruel narrator. After years of being forced into horrific acts by the Evil Queen and repeatedly denied a happy ending, Hansel decides to rewrite his fate—challenging narrative determinism, trauma, and the morality of fairy‑tale archetypes

My guest today is Jamison Firestone, author of RULE OF LIES: My Wild Ride Through Chaos, Corruption, and Murder in Putin’s Russia (Harper; June 23, 2026).

The book is a true story that reads like a spy thriller—darkly comic, violent, and unnervingly real. Rather than explaining Russia’s destruction of rule of law and democracy through politicians or oligarchs, the book tells it from the inside out: how an American lawyer walked straight into chaos and managed to live long enough to expose it.

We discuss Jamison's unusual childhood growing up in Beverly Hills with a father involved in fraudulent activities and later running a brothel, which provided unexpected protection from bullying for being gay during his teenage years. He later ended up in Russia, a country that drew his fascination, and we discuss living in the maelstrom of post-Soviet Russia, defending himself and his clients against mafia attacks, corrupt police, and armed commandos who raided his office. He shares how he was threatened, surveilled, extorted—and at one point forced to raid his own offices with a SWAT team and bug the offices of the Russian police just to stay alive. In a system where the law was a weapon, survival meant learning how to fight back.

Jamison established the first independent foreign law firm in Russia where he lived for eighteen years. He was also a member of the board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. He is a co-founder along with Sir William Browder of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign which created the Magnitsky human rights and anti-corruption sanctions regimes. He also ran the Navalny 35 campaign promoting the sanctioning of corrupt oligarchs and officials identified by Alexei Navalny. He currently works on seizing 300 billion dollars of Russian state assets for the benefit of Ukraine. He has been featured on the BBC, Bloomberg, CBC, and in several documentaries. 

Retired Col. Bree Fram is an astronautical engineer, public policy expert, author, speaker, former Congressional candidate, and retired U.S. Space Force colonel. She was forced to retire from the military in 2025 due to Trump administration policy regarding transgender people. She turned that moment into a 2026 run for Congress in Virginia, putting service and character at the center of her campaign. 

We discuss the impact of the Trump administration's ban on transgender military service, describing the cruelty and indignities faced during Bree's discharge process. She shares insights into the current state of the military under the Trump administration, including issues of morale, readiness, and the war in Iran. Bree also reflects on her recent congressional campaign in Virginia, the challenges of fundraising, and the importance of visibility and representation for transgender individuals. 

Known for her monster dance hit HIDEAWAY, KIESZA is live with me today to talk about her new album Dancing and Crying vol. 3.  Assertive and meaningful, the new album is a dance floor joy.

Our conversation covers her unexpected rise to fame with "Hideaway," the challenges of branding in the music industry, and the impact of a serious car accident and brain injury on her life and career. She reflects on her recovery, the importance of living in the present, and how these experiences shaped her music and outlook. We also cover themes of authenticity, the pressures faced by women and trans individuals in the industry, and the inspiration behind specific songs like the powerful "Good Morning America."

My guest is interdisciplinary poet and multidisciplinary artist Laurier Tiernan!  We talk about their work and life experiences. Laurier shares their journey as a genderqueer and non-binary person growing up in conservative Edmonton, Alberta, where they were bullied in school and faced discrimination, including being chased and called slurs as recently as 2024.

We cover Laurier's recent poetry book "Fifty-Five Ways to Survive," which follows a theme of darkness-to-light, and their 15th-anniversary album "Peace on Earth," which contains songs like "End of the World" that prophesied Donald Trump's rise to power.

We discuss how the poetry of FIFTY-FIVE WAYS resonates with the experiences of young LGBTQ+ people and how the music supports profound lyrical content.

Great conversation with Dr. Joel A. Davis Brown, author of "Souls of Queer Folk: How Understanding LGBTQ+ Cultural Values Can Transform Your Leadership Practice." Dr. Brown, an attorney with a doctorate in educational leadership and founder of the management consulting firm Pneumos, discussed his journey of understanding his LGBTQ+ identity and how queer culture embodies leadership values that can benefit society as a whole. We explore topics including the debate over the term "queer" following Michael Vines' New York Times article, the nine meta-themes from Dr. Brown's book (somatic awareness, interconnectedness, authenticity, perceptiveness, non-binary thinking, creativity, justice, agency, and verve), and how LGBTQ+ people demonstrate leadership through resilience and cultural contributions despite facing prejudice. 

My guest is the LGBTQ treasure, Margaret Cho. We discussed her ever-present presence throughout fabulous LGBTQ culture as well as her new song "YER DIHH" (a gay version of "WAP") featuring Jane Wiedlin and a music video with many LGBTQ comedians., We discussed her upcoming comedy special "Choligarchy" to be filmed in Palm Springs.  We spoke at length about current controversies over labeling, Margaret's unique experience and perspective, and why trans people are heroes.

My guest today is acclaimed author and tribal leader Greg Sarris . We discuss his latest book "The Last Human Bear." Greg shares his personal background as a mixed-race individual who was adopted and later discovered his birth mother's identity, as well as his journey of coming to terms with his gay identity while growing up as an outsider. He discusses how his relationship with Mabel McKay, a medicine woman, inspired the book's central character Mary Hatcher, who possesses bear power and navigates complex relationships across racial and cultural lines, and how the book challenges stereotypes about Indigenous people in California.