“What A Girl Wants” with Roxy Bourdillon

If you have not read A Black Queer History of the United States yet, you are so lucky to have this fantastic book in your future! And lucky for me that this is also an excellent opportunity to speak to two dream guests: C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost speak about gender trouble in the Black queer archives, how Black and queer histories need to be thought together and why grounding oneself in community is part of what it means to survive.  References:C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost’s A Black Queer History of the United States (2026)C. Riley Snorton’s Nobody is Supposed to Know: Black Sexuality on the Down Low (U of Minnesota Press, 2014)C. Riley Snorton’s Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity (U of Minnesota Press, 2017)Darius Bost’s Evidence of Being: The Black Gay Cultural Renaissance and the Politics of Violence (U of Chicago Press, 2019)Cathy J. Cohen “Deviance as Resistance: A New Research Agenda for the Study of Black Politics” (2014)William Cathay/Cathay WilliamsPhil BlackThe Funmakers BallCheryl Dunye’s The Watermelon WomanErica R. EdwardsMarsha P. JohnsonStreet Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR)Combahee River CollectiveNational Black Justice Coalition“Black Lesbian Thought” with Briona Simone [email protected]@uic.edu@windycitybqSaul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman’s Neptune FrostJellicle BallEssex Hemphill’s Ceremonies: Prose and Poetry      Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Why do Black and queer history need to be thought of together? How are they sometimes separated?     Darius speaks about the book having two parts. What is each about?     Riley speaks about gender and sexual deviance as forms of survival or escape. What does this mean? Can you name an example?     What does Darius say about the relationship between civil rights ideology and non-normative gender?     Why is it important to speak about collectives as well as individuals when engaging with Black queer history?

Who designs the rules of inclusion? Kevin Guyan has given a lot of thought to this question in his excellent book Rainbow Trap, which thinks through the many categories that fall under the rainbow umbrella and how they might include, exclude, limit, and even harm the people they are supposed to benefit. Listen now to learn more about why our future might hold fewer boxes to tick and how we can break boundaries to get there.  References: Kevin Guyan’s Rainbow Trap: Queer Lives, Classifications and the Dangers of Inclusion (2025)Kevin Guyan’s Queer Data: Using Gender, Sex and Sexuality Data for Action (2022)https://kevinguyan.com/ @kevin.guyan on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kevin.guyan/)kguyan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kguyan/)Gender Recognition Reform BillGender Recognition ActKit HeyamGeoffrey Bowker and Susan Leigh Star – in particular, Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences (1999)Ian HackingLooping effectSara Ahmed – in particular, On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life (2012)A Black Queer History of the United States (2026, C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost)Gender and Sexuality Data Lab (https://gensexdatalab.com/)Queer Data ShowcaseMystika GlamoorDean Spade’s Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law (2011)  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     What is a rainbow trap? Have you ever been trapped in one?     Kevin speaks about ‘the dark sides of being included’. What does this mean? Have you experienced this form of categorisation?     What does Kevin think about in the chapter on health and fitness?     How are labels multidirectional? What are ‘looping effects’ in this context?     What is a box breaker? Are you one?

We’re all still here, still ready to love, and to build community with trans books! In this extremely fun conversation, Cat Fitzpatrick talks about her poetry, her work with Little Puss Press, and a person called Crabstick. If you are wondering how all these things can go together and if you want to hear a fantastic poet speak about her favourite lyric forms as well as her favourite forms of activism, this episode is for you.  References:Cat Fitzpatrick’s The Dinner Party (Seven Stories Press, 2026)Little Puss PressCat Fitzpatrick’s The Call-OutCat Fitzpatrick’s GlamourpussMeanwhile, Elsewhere (edited by Cat Fitzpatrick and Casey Plett) https://www.catfitzpatrick.net/@intermittentcatChiara PellegriniThe Earl of Rochester“A Letter from Artemesia in the Town to Chloe in the Country”Richard BarnfieldUxoriousVirgilAphra BehnGwen Aube’s Missed Connections with Tall GirlsViolet Allen’s Plastic, Prism, VoidSybil Lamb’s I’ve Got a Time BombJeanne Thornton’s A/S/LShola von Reinhold’s LoteImogen Binnie’s NevadaSophia Dahlin’s Glove MoneyFuturepoemsJoss Barton's Goodbye to a Dream Believed   Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Cat and I speak about several poetic forms in this episode. What is Cat’s take on poetic form and the patriarchy? What is yours?     Which kinds of love do we speak about in the episode?     Cat describes part of her writing process as “I hold on to my feelings until I can make use of them.” Can you relate to this?     What does Cat mean when she talks about books as time capsules?     How can literature help us build community and engage with trans rights?

If you want to know what Roxy wants, this episode is a great place to start. Diva’s fabulous editor in chief joins us for a chat about her lovely memoir What A Girl Wants, which is just as heartwarming, insightful and fun as the author herself. Roxy and I speak about femme invisibility, queer timelines, body image and lesbian breakups. Not one to be missed.  References:DIVAOut and WildZoe BerrymanCaitlin MoranDolly AldertonAnn Bannon’s I Am A Woman (1959)The Beebo Brinker ChroniclesCarolCate BlanchettPatricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Roxy’s book regularly employs direct address of the reader. What does Roxy say about this? Why was this formal feature important for writing this book?     Roxy and I speak about queered timelines. What do we suggest and what do you think about this topic?     How does Roxy speak about approaching chronology and structure in memoir?  

The final episode of the Queer Forms and Pronouns series got a bit more personal than I expected. The incredible Teagan Bradway and I speak about misgendering ourselves, giving the gift of language to our loved ones and why not just the function but also the beauty of gender-nonconformity pronouns is politically and personally significant. We speak about my anxieties about it pronouns and how this plays out in different genres from speculative fiction to memoir. Teagan’s insights into narrative agency and pronominal shifts are incredibly helpful in taking one last deep dive into the world of pronouns.This conversation is part of a miniseries that accompanies my book Queer Forms and Pronouns: Gender Nonconformity in Anglophone Literature (Oxford University Press, 2026). I hope you like hearing more from your host, but not to worry: we will be back to our usual format after this one.   References:Bradway, Teagan. "Queer Narrative Theory and the Relationality of Form." PMLA 136.5 (2021): 711-727.Bradway, Teagan, and Elizabeth Freeman, eds. Queer Kinship: Race, Sex, Belonging, Form. Duke University Press, 2022.Bradway, Teagan. "Introduction: Queer Metarelationality." differences 35.3 (2024): 1-13.Bradway, Teagan. "Queer Formalism." The Palgrave Handbook of Feminist, Queer and Trans* Narrative Studies. Palgrave, 2025. 95-109.https://teaganbradway.com/Les FeinbergTorrey Peters’ Stag DanceBecky Chambers’ Monk and RobotOctavia Butler’s Lilith’s BroodMaia Kobabe’s Gender QueerDiane WattJack HalberstamDana LucianoMel Y. ChenSpivak pronouns (E/em/eir)Isaac FellmanAndrea GibsonHekanaho, Laura. "A thematic analysis of attitudes towards English nonbinary pronouns." Journal of Language and Sexuality 11.2 (2022): 190-216.Mattheis, Lena. "Nonbinary Narration." The Palgrave Handbook of Feminist, Queer and Trans* Narrative Studies. Palgrave, 2025. 25-39.Vera NuenningCorinna Assmann    Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     What does narrative agency have to do with pronouns? How might narrative point of view affect pronouns?     Why do we discuss genre? What could the implications of discussing pronouns in speculative fiction be?     How can ‘it’ pronouns allow us to think about gender, personhood and humanness?     What are Spivak pronouns? You may want to look this up as we only mention them very briefly.     What do Lena and Teagan think about mispronouning?     Why do we speak about pronouns as a gift that is not always easy to give? How do you feel about sharing your pronouns or learning someone else’s?  

The fantastic Jas Morgan is back for a conversation about pronouns in Two-Spirit literature! We think about how kinship is reflected in language, what role pronouns take on in translation and how they can easily be misunderstood, especially when working across cultures and languages. Our conversation is based on a dialogic chapter of Queer Forms and Pronouns, which I co-wrote with Kai Minosh Pyle.This conversation is part of a miniseries that accompanies my book Queer Forms and Pronouns: Gender Nonconformity in Anglophone Literature (Oxford University Press, 2026). I hope you like hearing more from your host, but not to worry: we will be back to our usual format in just a few weeks.References:Kai Minosh PyleJas Morgan’s “My Pronouns are Kiy/Kin”https://web.archive.org/web/20210416065231/https://aabitagiizhig.com/2016/05/13/red-rising-my-pronouns-are-kiy-kin/Jas Morgan’s nîtisânakRiot GrrrlRobin Wall KimmererWahkohtowinJoshua Whitehead’s “A Queer Geography of Woundings”Billy-Ray BelcourtLambda Literary AwardsKin (web series)Justin DucharmeAalaynaTa’Kaiya Blaneyhttps://jasmorgan.com/2020/10/25/sewing-circle-kin-web-series/@notvanishing (IG)  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Why might pronouns work differently in Two-Spirit literature?     What do pronouns have to do with kinship?     How are pronouns connected to animacy?     We speak about pronouns in translation between languages that attach gendered notions to them or not. How might this affect communication? Are pronouns gendered in your favourite language?     What does Jas mean by ‘I am not a metaphor’?

Come along for a deep dive into mixed pronouns in queer, trans and nonbinary narratives with none other than Sue Lanser, your favourite narratologist’s favourite narratologist. Sue and I talk about why we might need to rethink the concept of gender disguise narratives, where we find mixed pronouns in literary histories and why mixed pronouns often become sensual in literature. My favourite bit: Sue asks me about my personal hero, the Grinch.This conversation is part of a miniseries that accompanies my book Queer Forms and Pronouns: Gender Nonconformity in Anglophone Literature (Oxford University Press, 2026). I hope you like hearing more from your host, but not to worry: we will be back to our usual format in just a few weeks.    ReferencesSue Lanser’s The Sexuality of HistorySue Lanser’s Narrative Theory UnboundSue Lanser’s “Trans-forming Narratology” Narrative 32.2 (2024)Jeanette Winterson’s Written on the BodyLe Roman de SilenceMichel de Montaigne’s Journal de VoyageMargaret Cavendish’s Assaulted and Pursued ChastityLyly’s GalateaChevalièr(e) d’ÉonAlex Myers’ RevolutionaryDeborah SamsonJenny Fran Davis’ DyketteIsaac Fellman’s Dead CollectionsSpiel, Katta, Os Keyes, and Pınar Barlas. 2019. ‘Patching Gender: Non-Binary Utopias in HCI’. Extended Abstracts of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, May 2, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1145/3290607.3310425.The GrinchDr SeussJim CarreyBenedict CumberbatchLes FeinbergMaggie NelsonHarry DodgeJen ManionDean Spade      Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     What role does narrative agency play in the difference between external and intrinsic pronoun ascription?     Why does Susan suggest that we need to revisit Shakespeare’s and other’s gender disguise narratives?     Susan mentions how characters that are perceived as masculine but use she/her are much more frequently ridiculed than characters viewed as feminine who use he/him. Why do you think that is?     How has feminism expanded what ‘she/her’ can mean?     How does mixing pronouns do similar or different work from singular they?     Why does the Grinch, according to Lena, have big they energy?

It was an incredible honour to have THE Susan Stryker join me for a chat about ambiguous pronouns, trans literature and linguistic creativity. Susan’s wealth of knowledge on pronouns across languages and literary history was incredibly enriching and allowed me to speak about some of my favourite examples of ambiguous pronoun use in literature.This conversation is part of a miniseries that accompanies my book Queer Forms and Pronouns: Gender Nonconformity in Anglophone Literature (Oxford University Press, 2026). I hope you like hearing more from your host, but not to worry: we will be back to our usual format in just a few weeks.  References:Susan Stryker’s “My Words to Victor Frankenstein above the Village of Chamounix”Susan Stryker’s Transgender HistorySusan Stryker, Stephen Wittle, Aren Aizura (eds) The Transgender Studies ReaderSusan Stryker’s Changing Gender: The History and Future of a Concept (August 2026)Sara Taylor’s The LaurasGian Lorenzo Bernini’s The Sleeping Hermaphrodite (1620)Teagan BradwayMaia Kobabe’s Gender Queer (2019)Lal ZimmanRivers SolomonAphra Behn’s “To The Fair Clorinda” and “The Widow Ranter”Thomas(ine) HallNathaniel BaconMel Y. ChenAndrea Lawlor’s Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal GirlAndrea Gibson’s “Your Life”  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     Which pronouns are ambiguous when it comes to gender in English? Which ones are ambiguous in your first or favourite language?     What creates ambiguity when we use pronouns? How might this ambiguity be productive?     Susan explains why gendered pronouns in English function in an unusual way compared to other languages. What is something new you learned about this?     We speak about why literature can teach us something about pronoun use that we might overlook when focusing on grammar. What is that?     Can you name one of the examples of ambiguous pronoun use in literature we discuss?      

Welcome to a miniseries about gender nonconformity pronouns in literature! In this episode, the amazing linguist Laura Paterson asks me many clever questions about singular they in literature. We talk about the function of pronouns, common misunderstanding about singular they, and neutral versus gender-nonconforming use of this fantastic third person pronoun. Whether you would like reading recommendations (Virginia Woolf, Lamya H, Rae Spoon…) or some insight into what singular they can do in creative and academic writing, this episode might have some answers – or questions – for you.  ReferencesLena Mattheis’ Queer Forms and Pronouns: Gender Nonconformity in Anglophone Literature (Oxford University Press, 2026)Laura Paterson (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Pronouns (Routledge, 2023)Anna LiviaLamya H’s Hijab Butch Blues (2023)Rae Spoon’s Green Glass Ghosts (2021)Jeanette Winterson’s Written on the Body (1992)Anne Garréta’s Sphinx (1986)Charlie Josephine’s I, Joan (2022)The Globehttps://www.shakespearesglobe.com/identity-in-i-joan/Kit HeyamLaura Paterson and Georgina Turner (eds) Approaches to Discourses of Marriage (Routledge, 2024)Lal Zimman  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:    What is a pronoun?    How does Lena define gender-nonconformity pronouns?    Why is it relevant whether a narrator comments on pronoun use or not? Which examples does Lena provide?    Which literary texts do Laura and Lena mention? Which one would you like to read and why?    What do Laura and Lena discuss about pronouns in academic writing? Do you have an established practice for this?

What is queer food, you ask? Let’s find out! Alex Ketchum and Megan Elias tell me all about the connections between gender and food, cooking and sexuality, and recipes and community. The amazing book Queers at the Table is a product of the queer food conference Alex and Megan ran in 2024 (returning in 2026!) and consists of essays, stories, comics and endlessly inspiring reflections on queer cooking and intellectual inquiry. Lesbian chefs, feminist cafes, queer community cookouts – this episode has them all.  References:Queers at the Table (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025)Alex Ketchum’s Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses (Concordia UP, 2022)https://press.library.concordia.ca/projects/ingredients-for-revolution (open access)Megan Elias’ Food on the Page (Penn Press, 2017)Queer Food Conferencehttps://www.queerfoodconference.com/@queerfoodconferenceAlex Ketchum’s How to Organize Inclusive Events and Conferences (Microcosm, 2026)https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/63461Alex Ketchum’s Digital Queers and High Tech Gays (MIT Press, 2027)@dr.alexketchumhttp://alexketchum.caAlex Ketchum’s Engage in Public Scholarship!: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication (Concordia Uni Press, 2022)https://press.library.concordia.ca/projects/engage-in-public-scholarship (open access)https://www.justfeministtechandscholarshiplab.com/Greggor MattsonPrism ComicsQueer Food FoundationThe Female Glaze@thefemaleglazeThe Nonbinarian Bookstorehttps://thenonbinarian.gay/Bishakh Som’s SpellboundCait McKinney’s Information Activism: A Queer History of Lesbian Media TechnologiesThe Ripped BodiceCasey McQuiston’s The Pairing  Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:     How do Megan and Alex define queer food?     Megan thinks about what ‘not queer food’ might be and whether we would want to define this. What is your opinion? Is there ‘straight’ food?     How is gender connected to food? Were you surprised by anything we mention?     What connections do Megan and Alex draw between sexuality and food?     Alex and Megan speak a lot about community. Can you name two examples of how community makes food queer?     How might food be linked to queer knowledge production?