Queer as Fact

Call Me By Your Name

Today's Queer as Fiction episode is on the 2007 novel and 2017 movie Call Me By Your Name. Join us as we chat about Jewish identity, whether or not this is really a gay movie after all and, of course, the controversial age gap.

Please note that this episode contains swearing in a quote - our apologies for not including it in the content warnings!

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Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Today's episode is on the godmother of rock and roll, gospel singer Rosetta Tharpe. Join us to learn about Rosetta's rise to fame, mad guitar skills, and the invention of everything from the tour bus to stadium rock.

Also, Queer As Fact has a sponsor! Have a listen to pick up a discount code for Sudio Sweden headphones. 

Transcript available here

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Pope Joan

Today's episode is on the story of Pope Joan, the 9th-century woman who disguised herself as a man and became pope. Tune in for popes, antipopes, medieval Catholic pageantry, and the truth about Pope Joan.

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(Image: Pope Joan in papal garb holding an infant in her arms. Engraving from Hartman Schedel's Chronica Universalis or Nuremberg Chronicle, published in 1493 by Anton Koberger. Via Wikimedia Commons.)

Horace Walpole

Today's episode is on Horace Walpole, 18th century man of letters and writer of the world's first gothic novel. This episode features a number of firsts for Queer As Fact, including our first possible asexual person, and the first Queer As Fact Historical Goth-Off!

 Transcript available here

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(Image: Portrait of Horace Walpole by Pierre Subleyras, via Wikimedia Commons)

The Birdcage (1996)

For our second episode of Queer as Fiction, we'll be talking about Mike Nichols' 1996 comedy film 'The Birdcage'. Join us as we discuss gender performance, gay fatherhood and unnecessary sequels. 

Sofya Parnok

Today's episode is about the life of Sofya Parnok, an early 20th century Russian poet who wrote openly about her relationships with women, owned a pet monkey, and died surrounded by her loving girlfriends.

Transcript available here

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Willem Arondeus

Today's mini-episode is on Dutch World War II resistance fighter Willem Arondeus. Learn about his life as an artist, incredibly brave efforts to combat the Nazi regime and the origins of his famous last words.

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Osh-Tisch

Today we have our first episode on an Indigenous American two-spirit person - Crow warrior and craftsperson Osh-Tisch, whose batée gender was not only recognised but respected and supported by their community. Tune in to learn about the Crow understanding of gender, the best poker player in the region, and the Battle of the Rosebud, in which Osh-Tisch fought alongside the female warrior The Other Magpie and earnt the name Finds-Them-And-Kills-Them.

Transcript available here.

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Sylvia Beach

Today's episode is on the publisher and bookseller Sylvia Beach. Learn about the delightful history of her bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, Sylvia's instrumental role in publishing James Joyce's Ulysses, and her fateful meeting with her long term partner Adrienne Monnier.

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Male Sexuality in Ancient Rome

Today's episode is on male sexuality in Ancient Rome! Listen on for ancient same sex marriages, dirty Latin poetry, and the wittiest retort you'll hear all week. Also: some weird facts about hyenas!

(Note: the image above is an 1827 sculpture by French artist Jean-Baptiste Roman on the theme of Ancient Roman sexuality. It's not a genuine Roman work.)

Transcript available here

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