“This Queer Book Saved My Life!” Podcast Will Be Holding Live Event

Join host J.P. Der Boghossian as he speaks with OutFront Policy and Organizing Director James Darville about The Evening Crowd at Kirmser’s, a non-fiction book about the first bar that attracted an LGBTQI crowd in the 1940s. Der Boghossian will also be joined by a representative from promotional sponsor, Quatrefoil Library, in the interview and Q&A event. 

The podcast was conceived of by J.P. Der Boghossian, a queer Armenian, who spent a number of years searching for media such as films, television and books created by and/or about the lives of queer Armenians. In doing so, he created the Queer Armenian Library in 2020 to promote queer authors. 

According to Der Boghossian, “What I learned with creating the Queer Armenian Library is that it is a general rule of queer life that we need to go out and find our people and find our stories. We start our lives in isolation surrounded by stories that are not about or for us. With the library, I wanted to make it easier for Queer Armenians to find each other.”

Each episode of “This Queer Book Saved My Life” features an interview discussing with a different guest their personal stories, what was going on in their lives prior to getting the book, how the book affected them whilst reading it, and how it changed their lives afterward. 

The podcast also invites the author to join in on the conversation, often resulting in an emotionally powerful circle for listeners, as well as for the author and reader. 

The first episodes feature a wide variety of authors such as Carmen Maria Machado, David LaRochelle, Nancy Agabian, and William Burleson. Additionally, guests hail from a variety of career fields which include healthcare, academia, data technology, and healthcare. 

“This Queer Book Saved My Life” Live Interview
Wednesday, August 24 • 6 PM
LUSH Lounge and Theatre, 990 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis
www.thisqueerbook.com