The hiatus is over!

In this episode I talk about the break I've taken and why. I discuss my neurodivergency and what it's like to get diagnosed and live with ADHD.

I refer to my experience growing up and in university relating to the process I had before I got diagnosed. Then I discuss how my ADHD affects and connects to my recovery.

Thanks for listening :)

Major Trigger Warning!

In this episode, I go through and summarise the second section of Matthew Todd's book 'Straight Jacket: Overcoming Society's Legacy of Gay Shame'. The second section is entitled Escape and consists of 8 Chapters, which I go through in sequence.

These chapters cover a lot of tough topics and tackles some dense subject matter. Throughout, I relate my experience to what it is discussing and give my own interpretations and opinions on what is being discussed.

As such, with such dense subject matter, this episode is a long one and I expect the next will be too. Another episode is to come from this three-parter which will cover the last section: Rescue.

I found this section of the book genuinely difficult to read at times because it is so thorough in its approach and layout of these issues. Regardless, I enjoyed it and found it's logical approach very refreshing. Hopefully, that comes across in this episode. Thanks for listening! :)

Poor Things (2024) directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo & Willam Dafoe.

In this episode, I discuss this film and the themes that it explores. The film won multiple Oscars and many for the World that it created - a breathtaking marvel.

I talk about the character arc of the protagonist, Bella Baxter, and her coming to womanhood. However, I also discuss how I related to the film as a sober person and as a more feminine gay man.

Spoiler alert for this episode as I talk about the film in quite a lot of detail. I would recommend watching the film before listening.

Enjoy! Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I go through and summarise the first section of Matthew Todd's book 'Straight Jacket: Overcoming Society's Legacy of Gay Shame'. This first section is entitled Shame and consists of 6 Chapters, which I go through in sequence.

Throughout the episode, I review the book, give my opinion and relate what it discusses to my own experiences and how it has impacted me since reading it.

This episode is a long one, sorry about that, but feel free to listen at 1.5x speed. I had so much to say and even cut a lot out from this first part. Future episodes will follow on the other two sections of the book: Recovery & Escape.

I found this first section of the book incredibly impactful and hope you get something from my summary and distillation of it useful. Thanks for listening! :)

All Of Us Strangers (2024) directed by Andrew Haigh, starring Andrew Scott & Paul Mescal, with Jamie Bell & Claire Foy.

In this episode, I dissect this film after having seen it last week. I discuss what I feel about the film and its themes. This is mostly taken from my perspective and opinion on the film and is less so a summary as such. I give a review and discuss how the film portrays the queer experience.

I didn't expect it, but this episode ended up being quite vulnerable and honest. I apply the events of the film to my own experience and relate my discussion to specific memories of my own. I wasn't planning on being so open in this episode and was intending on just reviewing and discussing, but the film, importantly, depicts themes that are ever-present amongst queer people and that I'm all well too familiar.

I give a spoiler-free review in the first 10-ish minutes, but at that point, I submit a Spoiler Alert for those who intend to see the film but haven't. However, for those people, the first bit of this episode is spoiler-free.

Enjoy! Thanks for listening!

With the finale having aired just under a week ago, I delve into Season 2 of The Traitors UK. What a season! What terrific TV!

In this episode, I take each player in the order of elimination and give my opinions on their time on the show. This structures my discussion of the season's happenings, like The Dungeon, The Poisoned Chalice, and even Paul vs. Miles.

I really enjoyed this season and there is lots to discuss. My niche interest in social games with deceit, alliance, backstabbing, and strategy is very much activated with The Traitors.

As always, towards the end of the episode, I give my feelings about the season as someone in sobriety. I briefly discuss the representation and presentation of some of the players' stories.

Thank you for listening!

This is quite a 'bare my soul' episode as I begin to delve into my love of Poetry & Poems. I have so much poetry to share that I'd love to do sequels to this episode where I share more of my poetry, more poems of other authors that I love, and even examples of poetic scenes or monologues or lines from films too (which I mention in this episode).

In the actual episode, I talk about how I got into writing poetry, why I write poetry, and what inspires me. I start by sharing one of my favourite poems ever and then I share some of my own poetry. What I share ranges from some of my earliest writing to some of my most recent. I also share a couple poems I love from the current poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy.

I hope you enjoy this episode because it's quite a vulnerable one to share. With that, it comes with a trigger warning.

Apologies that this episode took a while to come out.

In this episode, I discuss the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary and Christmas Special that aired last year from November to December.

I talk about why I love the show and how it connects to my childhood. I discuss my feelings of what happened in these episodes and what that means for the future. I also give my opinions on the upcoming season based on these episodes. The episodes are (in order):

- The Star Beast

- Wild Blue Yonder

- The Giggle

- The Church on Ruby Road

Throughout this episode, I relate what happens in the episodes and to the characters (especially the Doctor) to my own experiences of sobriety and recovery. What I found was that, oddly, there was a lot to interpret here for me. Making this episode actually gave me a deeper appreciation for the 60th and Christmas Special.

Enjoy listening!

This is part two of the two-parter episode on The Velvet Rage by Alan Downs. I have a lot to say, lots to quote, and lots to cover about The Velvet Rage so this ended up being a two-parter.

In this episode, I go over the last few sections of the group. This includes 3 key pillars of authenticity, questions to ask yourself in moments of doubt, and life lessons and mantras.

The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World is detailing of the gay male experience with shame and the processes we go through. Alan Downs, a clinical psychiatrist, uses his own experience and that of his patients to describe and guide gay men through his 3-stage model.

This is part one of the two-parter episode on The Velvet Rage by Alan Downs. I have a lot to say, lots to quote, and lots to cover about The Velvet Rage so this ended up being a two-parter.

In this episode, I introduce the book and its 3-stage model on overcoming toxic shame as a gay man. I cover each stage and relate it to my experience, detailing where I think I am.

The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World is detailing of the gay male experience with shame and the processes we go through. Alan Downs, a clinical psychiatrist, uses his own experience and that of his patients to describe and guide gay men through his 3-stage model.

In the next episode I will continue with The Velvet Rage, covering Alan's three key pillars of authenticity, questions to ask yourself that I noted down, and conclude with the life lessons that Alan offers.