Upasa Borah - Thick and Thin

Explicit content warning

07/30/21 • 72 min

This week we chat with fresh young author Upasa Borah about their book Thick and Thin, their fan fiction, and about how they came to be a writer and a poet. They are so talented at only 21 years old, we truly think they are going to do great things. The audio quality is a bit subpar this episode but we promise it will be worth it.
(book summary)
In Raumah, a city where wealth and familial ties rule all, the four Kings walk a path seemingly paved in gold. Duante, the protector. Strong, amiable and desperate to keep his loved ones out of harm’s way. Drayden, the golden boy. Smart and resourceful, heir to the country’s largest and most influential business empire. Shohei, the celebrity. Delicate but determined, this fabulous fashion icon is the darling of Raumah. Aqil, the prodigy. Truly gifted and academically dominant, but is it earned or is it his family ties that are the key to his successes?Everything on the surface seems picture perfect, but dark secrets lie hidden behind the frame. When Duante’s past comes calling, the Kings’ world is thrown into chaos.Faced with the ghosts of his bloody past, Duante’s hard-earned freedom is put in jeopardy, just as Shohei’s love is put to the test. Drayden’s ruthless determination is usually his strength, but this time, will it blind him to what’s right? Can Aqil, the trailblazing son of the Faiz family, face his fears, before the fire burns him alive?Facing their fears is no easy task, will they bow under the pressure or come out stronger than ever?
Cherry Publishing

Previous Episode

D2 from Start the Wave - Sissy: A Coming of Gender Story by Jacob Tobia

The wait is finally over. This is part two of our episode with D2 from Start the Wave, and in the second half we get a bit more introspective in how this book affected us personally. We always have a great time talking to D2, no matter the subject. After you've finished this book please join us in checking out the Start the Wave pride resource list, as it is filled with many important and incredible books. We are slowly making our way through all of them. Also follow Start the Wave on Instagram and at Startthewave.org to see all the incredibly amazing waves of positive change they are creating.
As a young child in North Carolina, Jacob Tobia wasn't the wrong gender, they just had too much of the stuff. Barbies? Yes. Playing with bugs? Absolutely. Getting muddy? Please. Princess dresses? You betcha. Jacob wanted it all, but because they were "a boy," they were told they could only have the masculine half. Acting feminine labelled them "a sissy" and brought social isolation.
It took Jacob years to discover that being "a sissy" isn't something to be ashamed of. It's a source of pride. Following Jacob through bullying and beauty contests, from Duke University to the United Nations to the podiums of the Methodist church--not to mention the parlors of the White House--this unforgettable memoir contains multitudes. A deeply personal story of trauma and healing, a powerful reflection on gender and self-acceptance, and a hilarious guidebook for wearing tacky clip-on earrings in today's world, Sissy guarantees you'll never think about gender--both other people's and your own--the same way again.

Next Episode

Humberly Gonzalez - Stray City by Chelsey Johnson

"All of us were refugees of the nuclear family..." - Chelsey Johnson
This is a thought provoking and insightful episode, y'all!
Join us as we discuss the intricacies of Stray City with actor Humberly Gonzalez!
Book Summary:
Twenty four year old artist Andrea Moralez escaped her Midwestern Catholic childhood - and the closet - to create a home and life for herself within the thriving but insular lesbian underground of Portland, Oregon. But one drunken night, reeling from a bad breakup and a friend's betrayal, she recklessly crosses enemy lines and hooks up with a man. To her utter shock, Andrea soon discovers she's pregnant - and despite the concerns of her astonished circle of gay friends, she decides to have the baby.