The writer Steven Rowley is known for numerous novels: Lily and the Octopus; The Celebrants; The Editor; and The Guncle, which is about a gay man who finds his hands full when he takes in a niece and nephew he never expected to raise. Not only did that novel win the Thurber Prize — it’s now the first installment in a series, with his latest novel, A Guncle Abroad, coming out on May 21, 2024. For this week’s episode, I’m diving into the Sewers archives to revisit my 2016 interview with Steven. At that point, his debut novel Lily and the Octopus had just hit shelves. We spoke about how he’d spent a large chunk of his career disguising himself, writing rom-com scripts about heterosexual relationships. But there came a point when he decided to stop de-gaying his stories — and little did he know then just how much success that choice would bring him.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you’ll probably also enjoy my other projects. For example, my weekly livestreams on Twitch. This weekend we’ll be continuing our watch-along for the musical episode of The Love Boat.
Or you might want to check out my new podcast where we dive into the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, one episode at a time — it’s available now wherever you listen to podcasts, just search for Matt’s So-Cast Pod. And check out my videos, my book, my newsletter, and more at MattBaume.com.
The Best of The Sewers of Paris: A Drag Race Spectacular!
Bright Colors, Zany Action (Ep 470 - Skeletor/JP Karliak)
Dangerous Book of Secrets (Ep 469 - Lord of the Rings/Jared)
There Was a Rage (Ep 467 - Star Wars/Karl Dunn)
Lucy Would Not Take This Down (Ep 466 Lucille Ball/Eli McCann)
Living a Superhero Lifestyle (Ep 465 - Scooby Doo/Tim Fish)
Gay Male Student #1 (Ep 464 - Carol Burnett/Justin Root)
I Love F***-Ups (Ep 463 - Another World/Rasheed Newson)
Loners & Misfits (Ep 462 - Silence of the Lambs/Monty Wolfe)
Sci-Fi, Soaps, and Sports (Ep 461 - Jesse/All My Children)
I Don't Know When I Lost My Sense of Shame (Ep 460 - Dayspring/Anthony Oliveira)
Legendary Slumber Parties (Ep 459 - Robert Patrick/Greenwich Village)
The Silver Age of Queer Cinema (Ep 458 - Tyler/It's a Sin)
People Who Have Real Magic (Ep 457 - Ryan/Dune)
Very Powerful Women (Ep 456 - Paul/The Eyes of Laura Mars)
A Writer's Job (Ep 455 - Wicked/Gregory Maguire)
If I Drown Myself in my Bathtub for my Art, so Be it (Ep 454 - Sam/Pushing Up Daisies)
I Didn't Know I Could Love Someone Like That (Ep 453 - Mark/Rent)
How Much Can We Get Away With? (Ep 452 - David/The Muppets)
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