16 APR 2024 · If you could pick a gender, any gender, which one would that be, and why would it 1000% be knight? In this special minisode, I get to answer that question with Mabel Mundy, who shares fascinating insights into the genderfuckery of chivalric romance and crossdressing knights. Tune in now, to learn more about why gender ambiguity clearly is, and has always been, super hot, and how this plays out in Edmund Spenser and Philip Sidney’s writing. If you too are picturing Brienne of Tarth at the bathhouse when hearing about Britomart, follow @queerlitpodcast on Instagram and let me know in the comments. To learn more about Mabel’s work, follow her on Twitter at @mabelcjmundy. A big, big thank you to the brilliant team of Queer and Trans Philologies at Cambridge University for creating this space! References: Petition: https://www.change.org/p/support-our-surrey-campaign? This is not an isolated issue! See this list of current large-scale UK HE redundancies: https://qmucu.org/qmul-transformation/uk-he-shrinking/ https://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/39800/#call-for-papers Queer and Trans Philologies University of Cambridge CRASSH @crasshlive (Instagram) Crossdressing Genderfuckery Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene Sir Philip Sidney’s Arcadia Margaret Cavendish’s The Covenant of Pleasure Chivalric Romance Britomart Malecasta Bradamante Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso Diane Watt The Redcrosse Knight Una Questions you should be able to respond to after listening: - What forms of genderfuckery does Mabel talk about? If you are not familiar with the term, please look it up and/or check out the Queer Lit episode with Nick Cherryman. - Why is Mabel particularly interested in doing research on chivalric romances? - Mabel comments on how crossdressing knights can reveal something about the social category of gender that is possibly more important than their individual gender. Would you agree with that? Why or why not? - Do you have a favourite knight?

2 APR 2024 · How does a queer, trans or intersex body take shape in a narrative? Dr Chiara Pellegrini is here to help us better understand how narrative form, point of view, and embodiment interact in contemporary storytelling – whether that be in novels, short stories or reality TV. We speak about problematic narrative tropes of trans narration, such as the ‘gender reveal’, but also about how some narrative voices protect their characters from voyeuristic intrusions. I’m also absolutely fascinated by Chiara’s take on Barbie. Don’t delay, listen today! To learn more about Chiara’s work, follow her on Twitter @chiarapg4 and, while you’re at it, stay in touch with the podcast on Instagram @queerlitpodcast.     References:  Pellegrini, Chiara. Trans Narrators: First-Person Form and the Gendered Body in Contemporary Literature. Edinburgh University Press, 2025. Gillis, Stacy and Chiara Pellegrini (eds.) The Cultural Politics of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Special Issue of Feminist Theory 25.4 (2024). Mejeur, Cody and Chiara Pellegrini (eds.) Trans/forming Narrative Studies. Special Issue of Narrative 32.2 (2024). Pellegrini, Chiara. ‘Anticipating the Plot: Overdetermining Heteronormative Destiny on the Twenty-First- Century Screen’, Textual Practice (2022): 1-23. Pellegrini, Chiara. ‘“Declining to Describe”: Intersex Narrators and Textual Visibility’. Interdisciplinary and Global Perspectives on Intersex. Ed. Megan Walker (Palgrave, 2022): 49-64. ISSN International Society for the Study of Narrative https://www.thenarrativesociety.org/2024-conference-1 Narrative for Social Justice https://www.thenarrativesociety.org/n4sj Jay Prosser’s Second Skins Travis Alabanza’s None of the Above Calvin Gimpelevic’s Invasions: Stories Susan Lanser “Queering Narrative Voice” Textual Practice 32.6 (2018) Sara Taylor’s The Lauras Jordy Rosenberg’s Confessions of the Fox Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex Marquis Bey’s Black Trans Feminism Hida Viloria - Born Both: An Intersex Life (Hachette 2017) Hannah Gadsby’s The Gender Agenda Dahlia Belle (the comic Lena mentions) Cody Mejeur Casey Plett and Cat Fitzpatrick’s Meanwhile, Elsewhere The Ultimatum Questions you should be able to respond to after listening: -     How might narrative point of view affect trans and intersex narratives? Why do you think the first person has been a particularly popular point of view in trans texts? -      What does ‘embodiment’ mean when it comes to narration? -      Chiara suggests that narratology (the study of how we tell stories) can learn a lot from trans narrative forms. What, for example, can we learn from a trans perspective? -      We speak about problematic narratives that conceal trans or queer bodies, only to reveal them to readers or viewers later on. Can you think of an example for this type of narrative? Why would this be harmful? -      How do you feel about some of the recent queer reality TV shows?    

19 MAR 2024 · https://surrey-ucu.org.uk/category/news/ https://www.instagram.com/supportsurreysll/?hl=en https://www.change.org/p/support-our-surrey-campaign This is not an isolated issue! See this list of current large-scale UK HE redundancies: https://qmucu.org/qmul-transformation/uk-he-shrinking/ IG: @supportsurreysll Twitter/x: @SaveSurreySLL https://universityenglish.ac.uk/englishcreates/#:~:text=EnglishCreates%20is%20a%20campaign%20to,literature%2C%20language%20and%20creative%20writing @queerlitpodcast queerlitpodcast@gmail.com

5 MAR 2024 · Despite the title, this episode contains a generous amount of laughter, because it is just that enjoyable to talk to Hil Malatino, brilliant author of Side Affects: On Being Trans and Feeling Bad (2022). Hil has published groundbreaking work on trans and intersex stories and histories and, in this most recent monograph, draws our attention to the complexities of trans affect. In order to explore emotions such as numbness, fatigue, envy and rage, Hil consults literary texts as well as performance art, so of course I make Hil talk about my new favourite performance art obsession Cassils, alongside Casey Plett and Kai Cheng Thom. Tune in now to learn about all of these fascinating people, about human dolphin communication, about the manifold uses of ketamine, and about Xena and Subaru. Find Hil on Instagram @gay_vague and everywhere else @HilMalatino and follow the podcast @queerlitpodcast on Instagram. References: Hil Malatino’s Side Affects: On Being Trans and Feeling Bad (UP Minnesota, 2022) Hil Malatino’s Trans Care (2020) Hil Malatino’s Queer Embodiment (2019) Katy Steinmetz “The Transgender Tipping Point” (2014) https://time.com/135480/transgender-tipping-point/ Casey Plett CeCe McDonald Cassils’ ‘Monument Push’ and ‘Becoming an Image’ Sandra Harding’s strong objectivity Autotheory Kai Cheng Thom’s Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars Paul Preciado Susan Stryker Marina Abramovic Institute Tiresias Sam Tenorio Reed Erickson The Human Potential Movement Isaac Fellman’s Dead Collections Sarah Schulman’s Girls, Visions and Everything Dorothy Allison’s Two or Three Things I Know for Sure Bastard Out Of Carolina Mo Moulton Xena: Warrior Princess WGS South https://wgssouth.org/ Questions you should be able to respond to after listening: - Which types of affects does Hil write about in Side Affects? What role do they play in trans storytelling? - Can you list the bad feelings that Hil discusses in the book? Hint: You can also look at the table of contents online. - How does Hil describe the method of Side Affects, in terms of selecting and discussing texts? - Why does Hil find ‘triumphant’ narratives about trans lives problematic? Can you think of an example of such a narrative? - Hil speaks about positionality in academic writing. How do you feel about this? Do you write about yourself in your work?

20 FEB 2024 · How often do you get to chat with the author of your major literary obsession and learn something about queer storytelling at the same time? I cannot believe I actually got to sit down with @lamyaisangry to talk about their brilliant novel Hijab Butch Blues, their essay writing and the queer future, which, according to Lamya, will be weird AF. Listen now, to hear about queer readings of the Quran, gender expression at the gym, new coming out narratives, and Lamya’s queer writing ancestors. Not to be missed! References: Lamya H. “A Fragile Dance: Queer Brown Futures (Or Lack Thereof).” Autostraddle, 23 April 2015. https://www.autostraddle.com/a-fragile-dance-queer-brown-futures-or-lack-thereof-284789/ Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider Zami "A Litany for Survival" Dionne Brand’s What We All Long For Dorothy Allison’s Bastard Out of Carolina Cavedweller Stone Wall Award American Library Association https://www.lamyah.com/ Questions you should be able to respond to after listening: - Lamya writes in a very interesting form of memoir. What makes the structure of their novel unique? - What does Lamya think about coming out narratives and how they are changing in contemporary literature? - Who does Lamya name as her queer ancestors? Please look up at least one of them to find out a little more about their life and work. - What does Lamya say about the queer future? What do you think the queer future, or the future of queer narratives, will look like?

6 FEB 2024 · This episode is all about both/and: both trans and queer history, both kinship and relationships, both the past and the present. Mo Moulton, our illustrious guest this fortnight, is an expert in all of them. Mo is a historian of community, who is particularly interested in nonbinary methods to approach gender nonconforming figures of the past. In this episode, Mo talks about a queer and trans desire for kinship with the past, about chosen families, and (my favorite bit) about dogs and the trans experience. If I were you, I would listen right now and follow @queerlitpodcast and @movin_on_out on IG. References: Moulton, Mo. Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and Her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women . Hachette UK, 2019. Moulton, Mo. ““Both Your Sexes”: A Non-Binary Approach to Gender History, Trans Studies and the Making of the Self in Modern Britain.” History Workshop Journal 95 (Spring 2023) Moulton, Mo. “Dogs in the Picture: Restoring the Queer History of the Irish Family.” History of the Family (forthcoming 2024) Getting Curious Harlan Weaver, Bad Dog: Pit Bull Politics and Multispecies Justice (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2021) “Queer Pets” with Sarah Parker and Hannah Roche https://www.spreaker. com/episode/queer-pets-with-sarah-parker-and-hannah-roche--47535404 Dorothy Stokes Jules Gill-Peterson C. Riley Snorton Hil Malatino Dorothy L. Sayers Muriel St Clare Byrne Edward Carpenter's The Intermediate Sex Urning Deadloch Questions you should be able to respond to after listening: 1. What constitutes a nonbinary approach to history? 2. Which three scholars does Mo refer to when they talk about beginning their research on the history of gender? 3. Mo explains that historians often apply the category of gender while speaking about the past while, at the same time, being very careful about not anachronistically using terms such as lesbian or trans. What does Mo think about this? Do you agree? 4. We use two terms that you may or may not be familiar with: 'rainbow washing' and the 'pink pound.' Please look them up and think about whether you have ever encountered an example of one of them. 5. What does Mo say about the perception of radical or transgressive identities? Do you agree? What are your thoughts on this?

23 JAN 2024 · Nonbinary Jesus. Did that get your attention? If so, this episode is for you. Historian extraordinaire Leah DeVun joins me to talk about the pre-modern history of nonbinary gender, about intersex brides, transitioning saints and what terms such as androgyne and hermaphrodite might tell us about conceptions of sex, gender and sexuality. Leah explains how thinking about nonbinary gender was and is a way of interrogating what it means to be human. Join us for this journey into nonbinary history and religion and, if you just can’t get enough, follow @ldevun (IG), @DevunLeah (Twitter) and @queerlitpodcast on Instagram. References: The Shape of Sex: Nonbinary Gender from Genesis to Renaissance (Columbia UP, 2021) TSQ special issue: Trans*historicities, co-edited by Leah DeVun and Zeb Tortorici (2018) Resemblance (2022-) https://www.leahdevun.com/resemblance Lamya H.’s Hijab Butch Blues Gladstone’s Library Trans/Formations (SCM Press, 2009) Androgyne Hermaphrodite Judith Butler’s Who’s Afraid of Gender Eleanor Rykener Rolandina Ronchaia Berengaria Castelló of Castelló d'Empúries Joseph of Schönau Genesis P-Orridge Throbbing Gristle Psychic TV Questions you should be able to respond to after listening: - How does Leah define the term nonbinary? How is this similar to or different from other definitions you have come across? - Leah explains that thinking about nonbinary gender has an impact on categories other than gender. What does this imply and what would be examples? - Why does Leah say that focusing on a nonconforming individual should not be the only way to write nonbinary history? - Leah explains that when we learn about nonbinary people of the past, we usually meet them on the worst day of their life. What does this mean and how should this influence the way in which we read source texts? - Please look up one of the people Leah mentions in the episode and learn a little more about them.

9 JAN 2024 · How can we imagine a trans future? Kit Schuster joins me to talk about how transgression in fiction can help us think new futures. We speak about trans, nonbinary and gendernonconforming characters, norms and settings in science fiction, but Kit also stresses that their definition of trans is not limited to gender. Instead, Kit invites us to have our queer minds blown in all kinds of ways by future fictions but also by Gothic and horror texts. Apologies for the audio quality! Sometimes, a podcaster needs to improvise… If you enjoyed this episode, why not follow @officialkitschuster and @queerlitpodcast on Instagram, where you can also learn more about all the great stuff Freiburg University is doing: @engsemfreiburg and @fs.anglistik.freiburg. References: “From Gothic Heroines to Monstrous Prom Queens: Gender Horror in Dracula and Jennifer’s Body,” Rethinking Gothic Transgressions of Gender and Sexuality New Directions in Gothic Studies. ed. Sarah Faber and Kerstin-Anja Münderlein. Routledge, 2024. Queer Second Cities https://queersecondcities.wordpress.com/ Queer Perseverance https://www.anglistik.uni-freiburg.de/events/topicweeks Jennifer’s Body Dracula Rivers Solomon’s An Unkindness of Ghosts Afrofuturism Generationship Posthumanism Frankenstein Susan Stryker Torey Peters’ Detransition, Baby! Cael Keegan Julian K. Jarboe’s Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel and “I AM A BEAUTIFUL BUG!” The Murderbot Diaries Amal El-Mohtar’s How To Lose The Time War “One-Sided Relationships with Elaine Auyoung” How to Read Podcast Homo Sapiens Chappel Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and “Red Wine Supernova” Questions you should be able to respond to after listening: - What is Kit’s definition of ‘trans’? Can you think of a different one or do you have your own? - What does Kit think we can learn from trans future fictions? Do you agree? - When talking about the future, Kit says that “the past and the future are the same country”. What do you think they mean here? - What does Kit say about the collaborative nature of knowledge production in academia? Who inspires you to come up with new ideas? - Have you read a text that you think could qualify as trans future fiction?

26 DEC 2023 · The queerest thing you did in 2023: Part Two Are you ready for 2024? I absolutely am not but to prepare for another queer year, I listen to more of your voice notes and I give you what you probably have not been waiting for: the queerest thing I did this year. References: ListenQueer https://listenqueer.wordpress.com/ Kit Schuster Jack Jen Gieseking American Studies Meeting Lindsey Freeman Trans Community Run Mr Samo London LGBTQ+ Community Centre Clea DuVall Tugce Kayaal Heather Love Justin Torres’ Blackouts Whitechapel Gallery Nicole Eisenman Susan Stryker Questions you should be able to respond to after listening: - What is the queerest thing you did this year? - Do you have a queer tradition for this time of year? - Can you relate to any of the experiences my guests talk about in this episode? - Are you doing okay? If not, let me know and I will help you find a supportive queer community space.

19 DEC 2023 · We're revisiting a holigay chat from two years ago, talking to a wonderful friend about how hard the festive season can be for queer and trans people. CW: grief, death, trauma, religion, violence, antiqueerness, antitransness, family trauma