I Was a Regional Rockstar (Ep. 246 - Hellraiser/Old Witch)

August 8, 2019 Matthew Baume

Picture the creepiest, most sinister decaying swamp hag you can imagine, and that’s my guest this week — the Seattle drag queen who goes by the name of Old Witch. She’s the product of a delightful shy nerd who grew up in a tiny Montana town and who struggled to find housing before finding her footing as a rock star, a champion of literacy, an adoptive parent, and a pillar of the community in the Pacific Northwest.

Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on August 10, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

Gay-Porn Summer Camp (Ep. 245 - Star Wars/Jasun Mark)

August 1, 2019 Matthew Baume

You never know how your dreams might manifest. My guest this week is Jasun Mark, who dreamed of being a filmmaker as a kid. After some time in a tiny farming town and performing in a successful Canadian pop band, he got an opportunity to pursue that childhood dream in a particularly exciting niche — as a director of dozens of porn films, a line of work that he both enjoys and also allows him to pursue his own personal passion projects.

Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on August 3, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

Something from Another Planet - (Ep. 244 - David Bowie/Orlando Ortega Medina)

July 25, 2019 Matthew Baume

My guest this week is musician-turned-novelist Orlando Ortega Medina. Growing up in the music scene in and around Los Angeles, he was never really in the closet — or at least, he didn’t think of himself as closeted, until he realized that his own parents didn’t fully understand that he was married to a man. Explaining to his mother that she had a son in law wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it changed everything for his relationship with his parents. And he processed the experience in the way he knew best — by turning it into a novel.

Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on August 3, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers.

And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, a comedy storytelling show featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter.

The Lost Art of Cruising (Ep. 243 - Donahue/David Quantic)

July 18, 2019 Matthew Baume

For years, David Quantic’s only connection with queer community was cruising the bathrooms at the local mall, slipping away from his parents while the family shopped to meet up with men in stalls. But gradually, he found windows to a more expansive view of what the gay world could be, watching afternoon talk shows and eventually running away to Texas and then New York to capture queer life through a camera lens. It’s probably no surprise that these days his lens is turned towards sex, telling the story of queer community through our physical connections.

Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on July 20 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, a comedy storytelling show featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! Visit QueensOfAdventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter.

I Couldn't Get Close Enough to the Screen (Ep. 242 - The Simpsons/Matt Fisher)

July 11, 2019 Matthew Baume

My guest this week is caught between two extremes — the smart reference comedy of The Simpsons and the brutality of dramatic films about lives crumbling to pieces. Matt Fisher is the co-host of the podcast Ex-Rated movies, where he and his co-host and ex-boyfriend Ryan chat about films. Ryan was my guest on episode 235 back in May, and we talked a lot about how he finds joy in exuberant dance. In contrast, Matt’s drawn to darker stories, exploring pain through cathartic release.

Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on July 20 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter.

Mom, I'm Super Gay (Ep. 241 - '80s Films/Wes Hurley)

July 4, 2019 Matthew Baume

This episode is posting on the Fourth of July, and I’m going to celebrate America with a look back at one of my favorite early episodes of The Sewers of Paris — an interview from 2015 with director Wes Hurley, whose story of immigrating to this country is unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Wes was raised in Vladivostok Russia, where images of American culture floated to him through illegal midnight broadcasts and his life was so dangerous he had to carry a knife to school. His mother was able to bring them to America — she was a mail-order bride — but upon landing stateside as a young queer teen, Wes soon found the country wasn’t quite what he’d been led to expect.

Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on July 6 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

We Were a Phenomenon (Ep. 240 - Power Rangers' David Yost)

June 27, 2019 Matthew Baume

My guest this week has spent the last 25 years tapping into inner heroes — first on screen, and then in real life. David Yost played Billy, the Blue Ranger on Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, portraying a teenager with attitude who saved the world every week. But in his private life, he struggled to accept himself and to resist the homophobia of his colleagues. With on-set harassment exacting a heavy toll, he walked away from Power Rangers as an act of defiance and self-care, beginning a journey of self-acceptance that required as much bravery as his on-screen counterpart.

Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on July 6 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. We’re doing a special preview weekend at the end of June, making over 20 hours of backer-exclusive bonus episodes available for anyone to listen to. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter, where we’ll post more information in the coming weeks.

The Greatest Spectacle There is on Earth (Ep. 239 - Opera/Michael Fabiano)

June 20, 2019 Matthew Baume

My guest this week is a man of intense confidence -- which seems like a prerequisite for the work that he does. Michael Fabiano is an opera singer, and also former baseball umpire, debater, and business student. Opera was a side-passion for him until a teacher told him that his talent was so great that he had a moral obligation to dedicate himself to cultivating his art to the exclusion of all else. And so that's just what he did -- though he still makes time for casual hobbies now and then, like flying airplanes.

And by the way, Michael just released a new album of songs -- check out Michael Fabiano: Verdi & Donizetti to hear him present a spectacular set of songs.

I've had quite a few guests discuss their love of opera, and if you'd like to hear more you can check out Episode 4 (Salome), Episode 38 (Angels in America), Episode 89 (Mama Tits), and Episode 127 (Sailor Moon) -- all go into even more depth on the genre and the craft.

Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on June 22 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

How to Have a Life (Ep. 238 - Sunday Bloody Sunday/Walt Odets)

June 13, 2019 Matthew Baume

My guest this week has noticed something funny about the way we each live our lives: we all fumble through life like we're the first one to have ever figured out how to live. And Walt Odets has had a lot of life; he's worked as a photographer, as a airplane pilot transporting priceless cargo, and as a psychologist working through the worst days of the HIV epidemic. We'll be talking about trauma and loss in this episode, including some pretty heavy topics around mortality -- but also emerging from trauma and finding the optimism and strength to carry on. Walt's new book is called Out of the Shadows: Reimagining Gay Men's Lives, and provides a pathway for dealing with feelings of loss, pain, and aimlessness -- guiding people to self-acceptance, self-confidence, and self-realization.

We'll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on June 22 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

A Machete in Her Hands at All Times (Ep. 237 - Roots/Michael Twitty)

June 6, 2019 Matthew Baume

My guest this week occupies some unlikely intersections. Michael Twitty is the author of the James Beard awarding-winning book The Cooking Gene, in which he explores the history of African American cuisine through his own family history and his Jewish faith. He's been on a lifelong exploration of those very different identities and others, seeking answers to his past in journeys to Africa, to synagogues, and in the kitchen.

We'll have that conversation in a minute. First a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on June 8, at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed.

And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. The episode we just posted is a recap of the entire adventure so if you've been looking for a good place to jump in, now's your chance!

About The Sewers of Paris

The Sewers of Paris is a podcast about how queer lives are shaped by our favorite books, movies, music, and shows. Each week, guests open up about their secret struggles, hidden passions, and surprising triumphs by plucking a piece of entertainment from their past and answering the question: What’s the entertainment that changed your life?

About Defining Marriage

Each week on Defining Marriage, hosts Matt Baume and James Morris chat about what's happening with marriage equality, featuring frequent digressions into pop culture, silly banter, and the jokes and quibbles that have kept them together as a couple for over a decade.

The first eighteen episodes of the podcast contain the complete audiobook version of the book Defining Marriage, which traces the decades-long evolution of marriage through the personal stories of those who lived through it, featuring personal insights from the lives of Evan Wolfson, Dan Savage, Ken Mehlman, Dustin Lance Black, and many more.

About Matt's So-Cast Pod

Revisit the iconic '90s drama My So-Called Life, one episode at a time. Every week, host Matt Baume & his guests delve into the teen angst, the grown-up turmoil, and the endless flannel of the 90s -- and examine the show's impact on television and our lives.