Patrick Ryan (Buckeye) feat.  Rabih Alameddine, Guest Gay Reader

Host Jason Blitman talks to Patrick Ryan about his new novel, Buckeye, which is this month’s Read with Jenna Book Club selection. They talk about writing inspirations, father-son relationships, and Ryan's love for pinball. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader, Rabih Alameddine (The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)) his perspective on dealing with trauma, devotion, and forgiveness. Patrick Ryan is the author of the novel Buckeye. He is also the author of the story collections The Dream Life of Astronauts (named one of the Best Books of the Year by the St. Louis Times-Dispatch, LitHub, Refinery 29, and Electric Literature, and longlisted for The Story Prize) and Send Me. His work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, the anthology Tales of Two Cities, and elsewhere. The former associate editor of Granta, he is the editor of the literary magazine One Story and lives in New York City. Rabih Alameddine is the author of the novels The Wrong End of the Telescope; Angel of History; An Unnecessary Woman; The Hakawati; I, the Divine; Koolaids; the story collection, The Perv; and one work of nonfiction, Comforting Myths. He has won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the National Book Award. He received the Dos Passos Prize in 2019 and a Lannan Award in 2021. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE September Book: The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!    / @gaysreading   FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! [email protected] 00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview 01:04 Upcoming Book Club Picks 01:46 Social Media and Podcast Promotion 02:20 Conversation with Patrick Ryan Begins 03:48 Discussing 'Buckeye' and Its Themes 06:03 Personal Anecdotes and Inspirations 17:57 Family Dynamics and Relationships 30:26 Pinball Passion and Future Dreams 34:09 Crampy Thumbs and Favorite Sentences 34:36 Boomps a Daisy and Dance Hall Research 37:01 The Look: A Glimpse into Gay History 39:22 Clairvoyance and Dreams 41:28 Becky's Unique Gift 44:14 Mapping Life's Happy Moments 49:07 Grumpy Identity and Reading Habits 52:45 Writing Inspirations and Early Reads 59:33 The True Story of Raja the Gullible 01:10:17 Concluding Thoughts and Farewells