
Rekindled: Douglas Stuart in Conversation With Garrard Conley
On Queerness, Self-Awareness, and Plotting Novels
On this episode of Rekindled, Garrard Conley, author of Boy Erased, speaks with Douglas Stuart about his new novel, Shuggie Bain. Conley and Stuart discuss My Little Pony, portraying struggle, and being called “not gay enough.” Please purchase Shuggie Bain from your favorite independent bookstore, or through Bookshop.
From the episode:
Garrard Conley: Are you writing, working on any ideas?
Douglas Stuart: What I’m really having a hard time with is reading. I’m finding it hard to focus on something on the page… But writing is coming easier, because it’s engaging all the parts of my mind. I’m trying to write all that I can—I’m working on the follow up to Shuggie, my next novel, so I’m trying to focus on that. But it’s hard, there’s so much static in the world, so much noise, and people are really hurting, so it can be hard.

The Virtual Book Channel
Launched during the coronavirus pandemic as virtual literary communities began emerging in vital and unexpected ways, The Virtual Book Channel seeks to provide the best possible platforms for writers to reach their readers. The VBC (aka “The Veeb”) is a curated channel that archives live-streamed programming through partnerships with independent bookstores, literary festivals, authors' WFH spaces, and more.