0:04

gays reading, where the greats drop by. Trendy authors tell us all the who, what, and why. Anyone can listen, cause we're spoiler free. gays reading. From poets and stars, to book club picks. Where the curious minds can get their fix. So you say you're not gay, well that's okay. There's something for everyone. gays reading. Hello and welcome to gays. gays reading. I'm your host, Jason Blitman. And to those of you who have joined me before. Before welcome back. And if you are new here, I am very happy to have you. On today's show. We have the fantastic trans icon Supergirl. The girl herself, Nicole Maines is here at gays reading. And our guest gay reader for the day. Fabulously queer musician. Sammy Rae is here of Sammy Rae and the friends. If you didn't know all of our conversations can be found. And over on YouTube, the link to the YouTube can be found both in. In the show notes and also on the link tree, which is on our. Our Instagram page, you can follow us at gays reading Uber on. On Instagram. And you could like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. That's it really helps the algorithm and helps other folks find. Gay's reading as well. And if the spirit moves you leave us a. Five star review. It is tremendously helpful. And thank you to. Those of you who have already done. So. I am. I am ecstatic. Some of you have heard this already, but I am so thrilled that I'm. I'm partnering with aardvark book club to provide an exclusive. Introductory discount. New members in the United States can join. Aardvark book club with the discount code, gays reading at checkout. Checkout. And get their very first book for$4, which includes. Includes free shipping. If you're unfamiliar art rec book club. Is a monthly book subscription program. You can. Pause at any time you could cancel it any time. They have five to six Phantom. Fantastic new books every single month that you can choose from some you've. Heard of, and you've been anxiously waiting for some you've never heard of, but you know that they're going to be. Great because our rapper club is so fantastic. Highly recommended. Their Instagram at art rec book club. They're so fun to follow on Instagram. Uh, and that again, Again, aardvark book, club.com with. The code gays reading. And now welcome to gays reading and a call NHANES.

Jason Blitman: 2:36

I saw the cover and I was like, I want to be her best friend because this is

Nicole Maines: 2:41

Ah,

Jason Blitman: 2:42

hilarious.

Nicole Maines: 2:43

Thank you very much. It was fun. You know that, um, that covers, shoot, we did a whole bunch of different looks and a whole bunch of like different glamor shots. And then right at the end, I was like, yeah, can you guys like close me down and really fuck up my makeup? And those are the pictures I ended up liking the best.

Jason Blitman: 2:59

It's so funny it just says so much about you as a person. You're like, I don't take myself too seriously. I'm funny and read the book because those are the things that you're going to get. so I love a cover that is honest. This thing comes up in your book that devastated me and it is apparently that people hate people who love puns?

Nicole Maines: 3:21

Oh yeah, I thought that was common knowledge.

Jason Blitman: 3:23

It is?

Nicole Maines: 3:24

We get so much

Jason Blitman: 3:25

We do?

Nicole Maines: 3:27

We really do!

Jason Blitman: 3:27

Is it that I'm, I love puns so much that I tune them out?

Nicole Maines: 3:31

I think it's a, I think it's a love hate. I think it's an endearing hate. I think it's the eye rolling and the groaning and, but that's like, that's why

Jason Blitman: 3:39

I know.

Nicole Maines: 3:41

the groan.

Jason Blitman: 3:42

I, exactly, like, grown for me.

Nicole Maines: 3:44

Groan for me.

Jason Blitman: 3:45

Anyway, this was news to me and it, I was devastated by it.

Nicole Maines: 3:49

I'm so sorry to be the one to break that news to you.

Jason Blitman: 3:51

it says a lot about my friend group, if I'm being honest.

Nicole Maines: 3:54

That, that you're all terrible people?

Jason Blitman: 3:56

Know about how they treat me.

Nicole Maines: 3:59

Aww.

Jason Blitman: 4:02

It's like, oh, now I know. Now I get it. something else I had to ask you about, again, because this book, there's a lot going on. We could talk about, you know, your life. There's a lot of things in your life. So this can get, go to so many places. But something in particular,

Nicole Maines: 4:16

Well, we're reading the book, you know I love a digression. So we truly can't go

Jason Blitman: 4:22

we like literally haven't even, we're digressing from even starting.

Nicole Maines: 4:27

what I do. I don't know why you're acting surprised, she brings it to you every

Jason Blitman: 4:31

I know. Yes, you're absolutely right. Well, that's what's so funny. I say all the time whenever I read a memoir, I'm just like, I know everything about you and you know nothing about me. But like, I also love the digression. So here we go.

Nicole Maines: 4:43

Hell yeah.

Jason Blitman: 4:44

Tell me more. about your hotel key card collection?

Nicole Maines: 4:49

I can do you one better. Give me

Jason Blitman: 4:51

Shut up!

Nicole Maines: 4:53

Oh, give me two seconds!

Jason Blitman: 4:56

Oh my god,

Nicole Maines: 4:59

this is a little thing my dad and I

Jason Blitman: 5:00

that is so cool.

Nicole Maines: 5:02

It's fun. Yeah, it goes in my bathroom. It's

Jason Blitman: 5:05

Is it like, shellacked?

Nicole Maines: 5:06

like, yeah. Yeah, they're all up there and then

Jason Blitman: 5:09

Oh my god, that's, do you still

Nicole Maines: 5:11

Gotta get a frame.

Jason Blitman: 5:12

you have more?

Nicole Maines: 5:13

a lot more. Oh, I have so many more.

Jason Blitman: 5:15

Wait, how did this start? How did, are you just gonna hold it the whole time?

Nicole Maines: 5:18

Yeah.

Jason Blitman: 5:19

cool, cool.

Nicole Maines: 5:22

I got some good ones on there. I got like season one Batwoman. I've got some Riverdale. I've got Bleed for the Throne, Game of Thrones, right after that red wedding.

Jason Blitman: 5:30

you start collecting them? Why did you

Nicole Maines: 5:32

I, well, I used to travel so much when my dad and I would first start doing these, like speaking gigs, um, that I'd always, it wasn't, it wasn't intentional. Like I just had key guards and I started holding onto them. And then I just was traveling so much and I was staying in so many hotels that I just sort of started collecting them. I think my reasoning is kind of the opposite of that old, um, John Mulaney standup bit. Where like the kid like collected like old family photos and shit from, he did, from people's house, house parties? And he was like, why do you do this? the one thing you can never replace. And this is the opposite. This is the one thing you can absolutely replace.

Jason Blitman: 6:12

that's fair.

Nicole Maines: 6:14

It has zero value. It's just stupid.

Jason Blitman: 6:19

Oh, I love

Nicole Maines: 6:20

Like me!

Jason Blitman: 6:21

I love that so much and I'm obsessed that it has turned into bathroom art. I love bathroom

Nicole Maines: 6:26

Yeah. Well, you know, it's just something, something, something interesting to look at while you poop.

Jason Blitman: 6:30

That's all we need. Something to read and something to look at.

Nicole Maines: 6:36

100%.

Jason Blitman: 6:36

Coming soon

Nicole Maines: 6:37

You don't, I'm not, you're

Jason Blitman: 6:38

to a Marriott near you in every bathroom is Nicole Maines's book.

Nicole Maines: 6:46

Right where I belong.

Jason Blitman: 6:49

Okay. I typically would ask everyone what an elevator pitches for their book, but like your elevator pitch is basically, this is my life story, but if you have something like synthesized,

Nicole Maines: 7:02

I mean, I think the elevator for this is like a very candid, hopefully funny, um, look into someone who has never really been in charge of telling their own story. And now gets to really just run off to the races in a digression ridden, pun filled, stupid recount of events.

Jason Blitman: 7:31

yeah, 100

Nicole Maines: 7:32

hopefully, um, heartfelt and endearing and, you know, parts,

Jason Blitman: 7:38

percent agree.

Nicole Maines: 7:39

But like, with some actual stuff that's good to know, peppered in. Like actual good queer history because who's gonna teach it to us if not us? They're not gonna teach it to us in school. It's only elective by the time you get to college.

Jason Blitman: 7:53

not only queer history, but you know, my husband and I talk all the time about how we don't have. Representation really for us in many generations above us, right? So we're not like looking at dozens and dozens of older gay men living a fulfilling life into their, you know, late adulthood. You know what I mean? So like, it's, there's also something too about just like documenting us as humans.

Nicole Maines: 8:22

Yeah, getting to tell our stories and getting to put it on paper. Um, yeah, I don't know, like, hopefully get banned in Florida,

Jason Blitman: 8:30

girl get banned in Florida, Okay, Grimm Fairy tales versus Disney stories. This is part of the journey that we're on in this book First I find it hilarious Talk about that. Well talk

Nicole Maines: 8:45

speaking of Florida, fucking Disney adult.

Jason Blitman: 8:49

you literally grew up in the woods, which I'm obsessed with.

Nicole Maines: 8:53

thank

Jason Blitman: 8:53

Did you. feel like a magical woodland creature always?

Nicole Maines: 8:56

Let me tell you what I did, I surely did. Absolutely. And who's to say they're wrong? Who's to say they're wrong? Yeah, I mean, it was, it was great. It was beautiful, we got to, you know, playing hide and seek and manhunt and shit in the woods and, Then we'd make this big sledding ramp down our back porch into the woods and it'd go around and we'd coat it down with a hose and let it freeze overnight so it was nice and slick.

Jason Blitman: 9:23

That's cool.

Nicole Maines: 9:25

Yeah, it was really fun.

Jason Blitman: 9:26

You talk about your own life story being this fairy tale that you, and, and you, you, you relate yourself very endearingly to the Little Mermaid. what I find so interesting is Disney sugar coats those fairy tales.

Nicole Maines: 9:43

No, surprise, surprise.

Jason Blitman: 9:45

of course, but like what you're, you realize, I think at some point while you might long for Disney, you realize, wait, life is not, that's not actually real life.

Nicole Maines: 9:56

Yeah, yeah. Well, for me, and, and, and the big thing going into this book and wanting, and wanting to write it was this feeling with becoming Nicole, um, which had come out in 2015, ended on this very, very high note of, yeah, and then she went off to college, and she got surgery, and she had a boyfriend, and everything was great, happily ever after, and her wildest dreams came true. Um, and then quickly coming to terms, not quickly, prolonged and, Sadly, coming to terms with, oh, surgery didn't go the way I wanted it to, it was decidedly awful. And I feel like that's my fault. And having to come to terms with that felt very like, this was not the happy ending I was promised. This was not the happy ending that we, that we talked about at the end of Becoming Nicole. So that's, I think that's really like where the grim Disney divergence

Jason Blitman: 10:57

Yeah, no, it's interesting.

Nicole Maines: 10:59

like, oh yeah, and then Sleeping Beauty, then he kissed her and she woke up and he definitely didn't assault her while she was

Jason Blitman: 11:07

Well, not even just that, but like, we don't talk about what happens after that. We even, even at the end of the Disneyfication version, right? Like, so they wake up and

Nicole Maines: 11:19

Yeah, we get Mulan too! Shit gets dark!

Jason Blitman: 11:23

I think that's maybe the one sequel I've not seen. I do love Little Mermaid too, though. I could still sing you all the songs.

Nicole Maines: 11:30

Those were my two beats. Okay, Morgana, Ursula's Crazy

Jason Blitman: 11:35

Yes. Titanic tip and daring dash? Anyway,

Nicole Maines: 11:42

that whole, that whole, that was, that was like, that's the, I think that Disney sequel is phenomenal. And I think Cinderella 3, like a twist in time or whatever it was. Where the prince is like just a crazy unhinged character because they didn't quite know how to give prince charming a personality So they

Jason Blitman: 12:04

seen Cinderella

Nicole Maines: 12:05

It's so Wacky,

Jason Blitman: 12:07

Oh my god. Of course it is because like

Nicole Maines: 12:10

it's so

Jason Blitman: 12:10

where do you go? Nowhere.

Nicole Maines: 12:14

Insane insane.

Jason Blitman: 12:15

so, it's interesting, because like, even, even post Happily Ever After, like, is there even such a thing? Right? Because

Nicole Maines: 12:21

Well, exactly.

Jason Blitman: 12:21

keep living.

Nicole Maines: 12:23

Well, exactly. But we as queer people, we're told about all of this, like, it gets better messaging. And I think for me growing up, I kind of took that and it's my fault perhaps. But I was like, yeah, it's gonna get better and it's gonna stay better. fuck it will. And it just like, not only did it not get better, it just got so vehemently worse. That I was like, I didn't know what to do with myself. And I felt like I couldn't talk about it because if I was talking about it, one, I was making it real and two, I was adding fuel to the fire of all of the naysayers who were like, Oh, you're going to regret it. Don't do it. You're mutilated. You're mutilating yourself. Well, what am I? No, she did actually. I regret going to her, not the surgery. Um, but it was like, it felt like I couldn't talk about it because it was my fault because I was going to be adding fuel to the fire. And I didn't want to let anybody down. And I felt like, especially after Becoming Nicole came out, and we were doing these press tours, and we were doing these signings, and all these gigs, and I was having all these people come up to me, and they were saying, Oh my god, well, do you just feel amazing? Oh my god, does it just, oh, are you just on cloud nine? It's like, what's going on? What do you say?

Jason Blitman: 13:37

Yeah.

Nicole Maines: 13:37

Yeah! I'm great. This feels great. I'm awesome. I definitely do not want to be dead.

Jason Blitman: 13:46

uh, right. Well, that's what's so funny, right? It's like, compared to what? Right, it gets better compared to the alternative, but like, we all have our daily struggles as humans in general, but yeah,

Nicole Maines: 14:03

So more than anything, I really just wanted this book to be like, not necessarily how to be okay with not being okay, but just like, recognizing, I guess, and accepting that there is a pendulum, that there is an ebb and a flow, and sometimes it gets better, but that does not mean it's gonna stay

Jason Blitman: 14:20

No, and, and, you know, the title, the full title of the book is It Gets Better Except When It Gets Worse, and then it gets better again, and then it gets worse again, and then it gets better again. Right, like that's,

Nicole Maines: 14:30

well, it's funny that you say that, because I want, originally, I wanted the title to be much longer. I wanted to be, it gets better, except when it gets worse, which is most of the time, so gear up,

Jason Blitman: 14:39

oh, that's funny. Yeah, Right!

Nicole Maines: 14:42

was, and they were like, it's a little bit too long, and I was like, I'm sorry, who are we doing this for?

Jason Blitman: 14:48

Oh my god. Whatever. Not Oprah.

Nicole Maines: 14:51

Okay.

Jason Blitman: 14:52

You talk about Peter Pan being the trans mask prince that Neverland always deserved, and we don't talk about that enough. So let's talk about it!

Nicole Maines: 15:01

Yeah. I mean, what's, I mean, let's talk about it, but also what's there to say? He,

Jason Blitman: 15:06

there's a period.

Nicole Maines: 15:07

the cut, first of all, the cut. I've never seen someone with that haircut who wasn't transmasc. First of all. I've never seen someone wear that outfit who wasn't transmasc.

Jason Blitman: 15:16

Not everyone can pull it off.

Nicole Maines: 15:19

where are my short kings?

Jason Blitman: 15:20

heard it here. If you haven't read the book yet, this is the first time you're hearing it. Peter Pan, trans mask prince.

Nicole Maines: 15:28

Do the math, is all I'm saying.

Jason Blitman: 15:30

Something that is very alarming as an adult is that you address in your book is that we're all just faking it till we make it. And I have a long conversation about that with the designer, Jonathan Adler on a few episodes ago. And he, we basically were just like, we're all faking it. Making it up as we go along.

Nicole Maines: 15:51

yeah. 100%. I don't know what's going on. I'm

Jason Blitman: 15:56

but like, how, when, at what point did you realize, Oh, I just need to like, keep being.

Nicole Maines: 16:06

don't know if I've really

Jason Blitman: 16:07

Mmm, but

Nicole Maines: 16:08

I think I'm, I think I'm still trying. I'm, I think I'm still. Maybe hoping against hope that it's gonna click at some point. I'm gonna be like, oh my god, but

Jason Blitman: 16:19

it won't,

Nicole Maines: 16:19

but it

Jason Blitman: 16:20

But you just gotta keep doing you. And when, when did that click? When are you like, I'm just gonna keep being me?

Nicole Maines: 16:26

Well, I remember I was having a conversation with, um, Kyler Lee on Supergirl and I was asking her, because the imposter syndrome was so tremendous for me on Supergirl and I felt like such a fraud and I was talking to her just about all the feelings I was having and she's like, Oh, let them go away. And that was like, so not what I wanted to hear from her. I was, I was hoping she was going to have this, like, you know, seasoned actor, like, Oh, if I was on Grey's Anatomy, darling, please. Like one day you'll dead. No, she's like, Oh yeah, you're fucked.

Jason Blitman: 17:03

that,

Nicole Maines: 17:04

is so, first of all, which is so, but yeah, I was like, Oh fucking shit. Um, another good piece of advice I got was, From David Ajala, who is doing Manchester Black on our show. And I was, again, I was stressing about like how to do some line reading or something. And he's like, look, whatever way you say it is how your character would say it. And I was just like, it felt like such a stupid come to Jesus moment for me. Yeah, that makes sense. Actually perfect sense. Wow, I'm really freaking out about nothing.

Jason Blitman: 17:44

hmm.

Nicole Maines: 17:45

But then I continued to freak out about nothing for another three years. So, you know, did I learn my lesson?

Jason Blitman: 17:49

Well, but to be fair, we, I won't say we, me, I, I still freak out about things that I say or how I say something.

Nicole Maines: 17:58

Oh my god,

Jason Blitman: 17:59

You know what I mean? So, like, it makes sense that you'd feel the same way for your character.

Nicole Maines: 18:05

Yeah, I mean, I think for me it was more coming from a place of like, is Nicole saying this or is Nia saying this? Well, I need to be in character. Well, what's my character? Am I in character? What's my moment before? Do I have a, wait, hang on. Let me start from scratch. Just overthinking.

Jason Blitman: 18:21

Mm hmm.

Nicole Maines: 18:22

Overthinking and overcompensating. Because again, I felt so. Like, I don't know what I'm doing here, I shouldn't be here, like, I am so inexperienced and all of these people are so fucking good and so talented and, and so good at their craft. And I'm everything that they are not.

Jason Blitman: 18:40

hmm.

Nicole Maines: 18:40

And

Jason Blitman: 18:41

and it's interesting to hear you say that and to hear, and for that to come up in the book because the beginning of the book, you are so self assured,

Nicole Maines: 18:48

Yeah, right?

Jason Blitman: 18:50

but it's nice. that's part of the, that's part of the, it gets worse part,

Nicole Maines: 18:55

real. Turns out, your sense of self, and your confidence, can turn to mush after

Jason Blitman: 19:02

but then you build it back up.

Nicole Maines: 19:04

And then you build it back up? But, I mean, I think that's true of everyone. As children, we are given no reason. We are given no reason to be self conscious. We are given no reason to think that we can't succeed, or that we are not who we say we are, and it's through other people and other people inundating us with their opinions and their bullshit that we don't need to hear. That we learn to apologize for ourselves, we learn to make ourselves smaller, we learn to try to take up less space, we try to conform, we try to hide whatever gender deviance or, or, you know, otherwise is going on with us. Um, I'm sure there, I'm sure there's some correlation. Between, you know, growing up as any marginalized identity and then going out into the world and trying to succeed. But you don't think you can because you've never, you have been given no reason to believe that someone like you should

Jason Blitman: 20:02

Mm hmm.

Nicole Maines: 20:03

in the position that you're at. And that's something that we do see with a lot of, particularly women, particularly women of color, particularly queer women. Um, Yeah, because we're just, we're all told to just take up less space and to apologize for ourselves. So when we finally do get the big break and we finally do get there, we can't even fucking enjoy it because we're just hearing all of the voices who have said, you, you can't do this. You're not talented. You're not funny. Why are you here? Maybe actually just kill yourself.

Jason Blitman: 20:36

Yeah, that's the funny part of the book. The joyful part of the

Nicole Maines: 20:39

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, I was gonna say, it's not funny, but it is true.

Jason Blitman: 20:44

right. I obviously was kidding and Yeah, and in, in that space you talk about coming out and how coming out means exchanging the pain of suppressing your true self for that of public scrutiny and harassment,

Nicole Maines: 21:00

Real.

Jason Blitman: 21:01

and it's, and I don't think people will,

Nicole Maines: 21:03

it do be a lateral move.

Jason Blitman: 21:06

And, and yeah,

Nicole Maines: 21:07

Sometimes I'm like, well, damn, at least the closet was quiet.

Jason Blitman: 21:12

I know, but it was so dark. I know, but it was so dark. At least there's light now. Um, but no, I, I, it's, it's such an interesting thing to think about. And I think when you have people, uh, particularly straight, terrible bigots saying things like, you know, whether sexuality is a choice or whatever, it's like,

Nicole Maines: 21:35

Whatever it is that they

Jason Blitman: 21:36

would we choose that? Why would we do that?

Nicole Maines: 21:40

Seriously, thank you. You know, again, another great piece of advice. Um, I was, uh, Candace Patton, um, some of my favorite things that someone has ever said. We were talking, again, about my writing, and, and like, just imposter syndrome, and I'm like, I don't know how to do this, I don't know if this story's good enough, I'm, you know, yeah, and she's like, I don't know how to draw. If you are ever feeling, just like, as a woman, that you're not good enough, or that you're, you know, are you worthy of, you know, the career that you're just remember, men are women.

Jason Blitman: 22:14

Men are working.

Nicole Maines: 22:16

And I was and guess the bar the bar is so low! Some of the shit that gets made, some of the shit that gets published! And, but for women, we, we second guess it so much, and as queer people, we're like, we're like, are, we have to be infallible in what we put out into the world, because it's under so much scrutiny. And then some people just be saying stuff with the most confidence, and they are doing the dumbest shit.

Jason Blitman: 22:48

I know. It's a very,

Nicole Maines: 22:50

And I'm like,

Jason Blitman: 22:51

perspective building.

Nicole Maines: 22:52

what was, um, what's his face said he was gonna fucking fight Mike Tyson or something? Like,

Jason Blitman: 23:03

On that platform that we won't talk about.

Nicole Maines: 23:09

well, even, even that, perfect example, I'm gonna, I'm gonna buy this for however many fucking billion dollars and I'm gonna decrease its value, like men are, these guys are so stupid and we're here beating ourselves up over it and trying to bend backwards into impossible positions to, to cater to people who I'm not sure can spell.

Jason Blitman: 23:34

Fair. So you did do it. You did come out of the other end. You, you are that performer, right? So while yes, the pendulum does swing, the imposter syndrome doesn't necessarily go away. Maybe it just gets better.

Nicole Maines: 23:54

Yeah, the abstinent flows and I, and I could go

Jason Blitman: 23:57

and, but did you, do you, now that you can hold this in your hand, did that transform anything for you?

Nicole Maines: 24:06

Strangely, no. Um, it's weird. I mean, I am in such a mode right now where maybe, maybe the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction that I'm not really taking time to be like, wow, this is something that I did. Because by the time I get, I got the galley copies from them, I was working on my suicide squad run. So I was like, huh? What? No, shut up. My entire plot's changed and I need to figure out how to get these motherfuckers on a plane by the end of issue three.

Jason Blitman: 24:36

Right, because you're like, oh, the book writing was so six months ago.

Nicole Maines: 24:41

100%. Seriously, um, yeah, because now I'm like, it's very good that it's done. I'm really, really excited to get to be talking about it now. And I'm excited for it to be out in the world. And I really hope that people have a fun time reading it. I hope they learn a couple of things from it that they didn't know before. At the very least, I hope it makes them chuckle a couple of times. Um, Thank you! Um, but yeah, for me, I'm so like, in this mode right now of just like, Alright, just on to the next thing. What are we working on next? Let's just keep moving, one foot in front of the other. Um, because what else can you

Jason Blitman: 25:17

and that's a really, I think, uh, important reminder of life moving forward,

Nicole Maines: 25:24

Yeah.

Jason Blitman: 25:25

you know, and how, not pointless, but how reflecting on what has already happened is, is not worth the time because there's so much to do moving forward.

Nicole Maines: 25:37

I think it's good to, to take, and I probably, on our release day, I'll maybe, you know, maybe I'll go like, out and get a drink or something. Um, it is important to give yourself

Jason Blitman: 25:46

but that's also That's present,

Nicole Maines: 25:48

Yeah,

Jason Blitman: 25:50

right? You'd celebrate release day.

Nicole Maines: 25:54

Yeah, you know? I think um, yeah, celebrate your victories and because fuck, it's hard out here and anytime that anybody creates something and, and, that's hard and that takes energy and that's something that should be applauded because it's easier to just not do anything.

Jason Blitman: 26:13

hmm. complete non sequitur, something we, something we share in common, I peaked in fifth grade when I was class president. Uh

Nicole Maines: 26:27

You know, here's the funny thing. We had a flagpole that the 5th grader, one of the 5th graders every morning would go and raise the flag. And that flagpole was so rusted and so old and it was so impossible. And I ran on a platform of, you guys, as a 5th grader, I know how hard this is. This is a community issue that I care about and I'm going, I promise to see to it that this gets resolved so that future grades will not have the same struggles as f ing b

Jason Blitman: 26:57

Do we know if that flagpole has since changed?

Nicole Maines: 27:00

Beats the f out

Jason Blitman: 27:01

How do we find out?

Nicole Maines: 27:03

I never thought about it. I'm sure, I'm sure the time that I was in fifth grade and now I would hope that it's

Jason Blitman: 27:11

Girl, budget cuts!

Nicole Maines: 27:14

But yeah, I just, um, I remember running and winning On a platform of something that I never had any intention to do.

Jason Blitman: 27:24

this was a sitcom, and we were recording this on a sitcom, it would cut to a fifth grader, like, struggling to pull up

Nicole Maines: 27:33

And

Jason Blitman: 27:33

the thing.

Nicole Maines: 27:35

you know what, frankly, I hope somewhere they are.

Jason Blitman: 27:39

Poor kid. You got it, kid. It'll get better. And then it'll get worse,

Nicole Maines: 27:44

It'll get

Jason Blitman: 27:44

get better.

Nicole Maines: 27:45

Exactly. Hey, I had to do it. So do you.

Jason Blitman: 27:49

so funny. you also talk about, superheroes and comic books always historically being political.

Nicole Maines: 27:56

Well look, we've been new that many media literacy is fucking dead.

Jason Blitman: 28:01

when someone contemporary, if you're looking at a comic from 40, 50 years ago, and you actually read it and think about what was happening at the time, it's very reminiscent to how things are right

Nicole Maines: 28:13

Yeah. It's all, everything's informed by what's happening

Jason Blitman: 28:16

Exactly, but because we're sort of in it, I think people are like, Wait, why is it suddenly so political? It's like, no, but it's always been political.

Nicole Maines: 28:24

Well, they're saying, well, why is it suddenly so political? Also, historically, well, they've aligned with what Iron Man and Superman and Captain America have been saying. And now that we're seeing Superman support his bisexual son, they're like, whoa, hold on now, well, why are you trying to shove this agenda down my throat? And I'm like, no, it's just because you have consumed so much brain rotting, hateful, bigoted media on fucking TikTok or Breitbart or wherever the fuck you get your nonsense, now you look at a comic book and you think Superman is some crazy, radical, leftist shit. And all he's ever done is say, yeah, support your kids, don't be an asshole, uh, live up to the ideals of what America is supposed to represent. No, I did not say what America does represent.

Jason Blitman: 29:14

Yeah. No, it's, and it, it was an interesting thing to think about as an exercise. Um,

Nicole Maines: 29:21

superheroes make these really big, scary conversations digestible and accessible for everybody regardless of your age. And I think that's what's so fantastic about comic books as a medium. is they just are fantastic vehicles for us to talk about these issues that matter. And that's how, and that's what we've always been using them for. In the Cold War, um, to talk about World War II, to talk about, um, you know, just diversity and immigration and women's rights. And yeah, they've always been political. And they've always, at the very least, had a commentary.

Jason Blitman: 29:55

Right. Right. And of course, Literacy. If we're, you know,

Nicole Maines: 30:00

exactly. Are

Jason Blitman: 30:01

that's a different conversation.

Nicole Maines: 30:03

Yeah. Okay. The same guys who are complaining that Superman is woke. Don't know the difference between your

Jason Blitman: 30:09

and you're, yeah, exactly. Yes, you're allowed to argue with me about this if you can do, if you can tell me the difference between There, there, and there, and you're, and you're.

Nicole Maines: 30:22

see, look at that. She can read,

Jason Blitman: 30:25

Yes, you can. Do you read? Are you a reader?

Nicole Maines: 30:28

you know, I'm learning to read more. I think. I really, really don't, and I could go off on a whole separate tab about this because I really just, I don't like the way that we, we, uh, teach reading in in America. I don't think we incentivize it or make it a fun thing. I think we make it torture. And I think we make it off. And it doesn't help also, by the way, by the way, it doesn't fucking help. Let me get off on my soapbox

Jason Blitman: 30:53

Give us a read on

Nicole Maines: 30:54

doesn't help. It does not help that all of the classics that we're forced to read are just the same stories of like shitty white rich men being shitty white rich men. Lord of the Flies was just a bunch of boys behaving foolishly. I will never get over my hatred of Holden Caulfield. First of all, that whole book, I was like, fuck this kid. Why am I reading about him? Same thing with like, even The Great Gatsby too is such a narrow view of that timeframe. But we are told that these are the stories that are, are the best, the best ones we can possibly read. And these are the cornerstones of American literature. And I think for the vast majority of us, it's like, well, it becomes work and that we make reading not

Jason Blitman: 31:49

Listen, I was in the same boat and then about five years ago picked up a book because I think I was on vacation somewhere and I was like, Oh, let me pick up a book. And I was like, Oh, reading is fun. And then I like picked up another book and then picked, but I was older than you.

Nicole Maines: 32:06

Well, same thing happened to me. I was waiting for an Uber outside of Barnes and Noble and I had like a 10 minute wait. And so I went in and I picked up the first Throne of Glass book. And that's how I became a Sarah J. Maas girlie. And now here I am. Reading fucking fan fiction on a oh three. Get my

Jason Blitman: 32:27

That is amazing. I have not picked them up yet. I have a hard time with series. Because I just have a commitment issue with the series. That's what I hear.

Nicole Maines: 32:40

55 is all I got to say,

Jason Blitman: 32:43

funny.

Nicole Maines: 32:44

But perhaps more than chapter 55. Chapter 42,

Jason Blitman: 32:48

are you being facetious or do you actually?

Nicole Maines: 32:50

I'm being so for real, the, the Court of Thorns and Roses girlies will

Jason Blitman: 32:56

That is so

Nicole Maines: 32:58

a court of mis in theory Chapter 42. Holy shit,

Jason Blitman: 33:04

I'm gonna google it after this. Amazing.

Nicole Maines: 33:07

part of the problem.

Jason Blitman: 33:08

There's something that you did

Nicole Maines: 33:10

Oh God, I can't wait for this.

Jason Blitman: 33:12

that brought up college trauma for Jason.

Nicole Maines: 33:16

Oh God, what am

Jason Blitman: 33:17

you did the thing that no one is supposed to do in a relationship.

Nicole Maines: 33:24

Oh yeah.

Jason Blitman: 33:25

You read the Facebook messages.

Nicole Maines: 33:27

Okay, well to be fair, I think, I know we're not supposed to, but also, I was already on a spree of misdress because I had asked him if he, and very normally, because I'm not like by nature a jealous person or anything. So I was like, and it's that he had lied to my face. And then when I found the drugs he was keeping in my dorm room, which I had also asked him about and he had lied to my face about, I was like, well, then all bets are

Jason Blitman: 33:54

yeah. So

Nicole Maines: 33:55

And now it's time to do some sleuthing.

Jason Blitman: 33:57

listen, College boyfriend, I watched him write a note in the back of his notebook and show it to his old boyfriend, ex boyfriend, and I was like, what the hell is that? To anyone who's just listening, Nicole put on her reading glasses. And, and I was like, what was that? Like what was that about? And, or I like gave him a moment to like tell me, like, did something happen? And

Nicole Maines: 34:33

the option to come with us to the truth.

Jason Blitman: 34:35

he was doing his laundry in his dorm room and I found the notebook and I pulled it out and it had been erased, but you could still read it cause it was like in

Nicole Maines: 34:43

If you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it, I bet you, you would have done the same.

Jason Blitman: 34:48

And we're quote, and we're quoting musical theater, girl,

Nicole Maines: 34:52

this? I don't know. Hell yo.

Jason Blitman: 34:55

and it said, by the way, I didn't tell Jason about the kiss. I know.

Nicole Maines: 35:03

Holy fuck.

Jason Blitman: 35:05

is, is that A, I need to talk to my therapist about this because I think that's where my little jealousy nugget started. But B, we're valid. I know.

Nicole Maines: 35:17

Yes! Okay? Like, I know it's wrong to do it, but when you find the shit, are you still in the wrong, or? Like, okay, perfect example. Rosemary's baby. She was right about everything, but everyone treated her like she was crazy and acting like a buffoon, and then she found the cult, so she was vindicated.

Jason Blitman: 35:40

It's

Nicole Maines: 35:41

she was unlocking the baby and I was really disappointed because she came in with

Jason Blitman: 35:44

When you,

Nicole Maines: 35:44

And I was like, girl, I'm on

Jason Blitman: 35:45

when you were doing the Facebook sleuth thing and when I was doing the back of the notebook sleuth thing, the word gaslighting was not a thing. But we were, we were being gaslit.

Nicole Maines: 35:54

Yeah. I know my

Jason Blitman: 35:56

Yes. Okay. I just, we,

Nicole Maines: 35:59

I'm not sorry.

Jason Blitman: 36:00

I needed to get this off my chest with you.

Nicole Maines: 36:03

Hey. Hey, now. I mean, see, I mean, hey, now we're asking

Jason Blitman: 36:08

Yes, we are. That's

Nicole Maines: 36:10

If you find the shit, if you were right to

Jason Blitman: 36:13

100%. something that inspired me at the end of this book, and again, we're not spoiling anything. We don't, we don't do spoilers on gays reading, but it's your life story, so there's not much to spoil. But gives you the advice to to use the best of what you have now because you'll come up with other stuff and maybe better stuff later. And what a good way to live. Has that, has that propelled you forward beyond writing?

Nicole Maines: 36:43

Yeah. I think that's just great advice to live by. The advice for anyone listening is from Tom Taylor, who's a fantastic also writer at DC Comics. But yeah, I think that's just like a really great way to live too. I think when you, you know, It's, it's, it's just coming off of like, you know, one in the hand is worth two in the bush. Take with what you have and run with that. If you get more later, and you will, that's great. And you have faith that you will come up with better shit, or you will come into better shit down the road. But if you have something you really, really like now, don't sit

Jason Blitman: 37:20

Well, and that's true for like life in general, right? Like get rid of

Nicole Maines: 37:25

Unless you have right now is a boy, then definitely sit on it.

Jason Blitman: 37:31

What I really meant was

Nicole Maines: 37:33

And that's really

Jason Blitman: 37:34

the idea, the idea of like, oh, well, I'm going to save this for later, or I'll do it later.

Nicole Maines: 37:43

Yeah. exactly. Oh, it's just not right now. Oh, it's just not the time. Oh, do it now. Do

Jason Blitman: 37:47

it now. No, I

Nicole Maines: 37:49

might get hit by a bus on the way home.

Jason Blitman: 37:51

Exactly. Something you pose in the book that came up in one of your speeches, That you gave, is how are any of us supposed to feel hopeful or secure in this freakin country?

Nicole Maines: 38:03

Real.

Jason Blitman: 38:04

And, have you gotten any closer to an answer for that?

Nicole Maines: 38:08

No. If anything, I've gotten farther

Jason Blitman: 38:11

not to be so, um, flippant about it or like simplistic about it, It gets better, except when it gets worse, and we are on that pendulum, and we have seen that back and forth, and unfortunately, we're sort of all collectively on the pendulum together,

Nicole Maines: 38:29

yeah, so the only thing that I would say to listeners is, vote, but vote every single time. It's the local elections. It's the state elections. If we can get this at every single level, then hopefully we can get people who actually give a shit about our protests and about our dissents and about the things that really fucking matter to us. And if you're one of those people that can stomach public office People tell me that I should run for public office. And I'm like, no, I'll call someone to see word day one. And then I'm, and then I'll be

Jason Blitman: 39:04

yes, maybe,

Nicole Maines: 39:05

won't be able to do it. I

Jason Blitman: 39:06

be worth running just to do it. What

Nicole Maines: 39:09

just as yeah, totally.

Jason Blitman: 39:10

good

Nicole Maines: 39:11

That that's Maine's 20, Maine's 2024.

Jason Blitman: 39:14

Nicole means you are so fun and so funny and that's a weird thing to say coming out of like a very empowering moment, but there's something too about like we all need to get better at gaining empathy and sharing ourselves with people, and I think you do that so beautifully in your book. Um, and I think that for me is what reading, what turning to reading really did. You know, hearing other people's stories, uh, and just learning from different perspectives. That's, there's voting, but there's also

Nicole Maines: 39:52

Well, that's what it is. The way that we connect with other people is something my dad always says is by telling our stories and through sharing our experiences. Storytelling is how we connect to each other and how we empathize. Um, so I hope that in reading this, um, I don't make anyone feel too alienated. Um, but also, you know, I wasn't really writing it with the intention of pulling a lot of punches. Um, yeah, I just, I really hope that at the very least it makes somebody feel seen in something. In their gender, in their feelings of hopelessness, in their anger. Um, There's so much that I put into this book that I really just wanted to feel like I got it off my chest, you know what I mean?

Jason Blitman: 40:39

Yeah.

Nicole Maines: 40:40

I've gone in for auditions where the trans character is very clearly like, didn't get support at home, had to leave, did not get access to gender affirming care, she's in her mid twenties, she's only really just been able to start transitioning. And I'm like, I physically do not represent that version of transness. And neither is better or worse than the other. It's just that, like, That's not mine. And there is no one singular experience. You're absolutely right.

Jason Blitman: 41:09

Yeah. So thank you for sharing your story.

Nicole Maines: 41:12

Thank you for

Jason Blitman: 41:13

And I, I don't know if you could see, authors love when I show them the tabs, lots of book tabs, but I love to read and listen at the same time if I can. And your audio book is fantastic.

Nicole Maines: 41:29

good! I didn't know you got

Jason Blitman: 41:30

It is so good. Yeah. I read and listened at the same time and the audio book is so good.

Nicole Maines: 41:36

I, thank god. I love that.

Jason Blitman: 41:37

Yeah, they're not all

Nicole Maines: 41:38

We, I,

Jason Blitman: 41:39

Not everyone is good at playing themselves. They get very, I think, nervous about like, reading as they're as themselves, and you did. I I was very impressed.

Nicole Maines: 41:50

Thank you so much. That makes me so happy.

Jason Blitman: 41:51

Nicole Mains, you're a delight. It gets better, except when it gets worse. Go, it's, it's out now. Wherever books are sold.

Nicole Maines: 42:01

Out now, yeah, exactly. As of the time of recording this, uh,

Jason Blitman: 42:07

When you are listening, it is out and you can buy

Nicole Maines: 42:10

Exactly. Who said time is linear? Not me,

Jason Blitman: 42:13

No, it's not. But don't look back because it's not worth your time.

Nicole Maines: 42:17

Exactly. It's Jeremy Bearamy.

Jason Blitman: 42:19

is Jeremy Bearme. Good reference to end us off today. Do you want to like sing a, sing a Disney song on our way out? No, then I have to like buy

Nicole Maines: 42:26

We can't, we'll get taken down. We can't afford that! for

Jason Blitman: 42:31

the gays really doesn't have a big budget. No, the gays. Nicole, thank you so much for being here today. So nice meeting you. If Thank you for being here, being my, one of my guest gay readers, which is a fun generic term that we're using since the podcast is called Gays Reading.

Sammy Rae: 42:49

I love it. When I opened this, I was like, that's the most fantastic podcast name I've ever heard. I'm in.

Jason Blitman: 42:53

Perfect. I'm taking that as a pull quote. Thank you very much. For our listeners. You might know this guest gay reader as the front human of one of my favorite bands, Sammy Rae and the Friends.

Sammy Rae: 43:08

That's so kind of

Jason Blitman: 43:09

Welcome Sammy Ray! are you a reader? And what do you read?

Sammy Rae: 43:13

I like reading When I do read I like reading about real events. I like stumbling upon a book and being like, Oh, I would love to learn about how many different sorts of trees are in the Amazon. Or I have this book. That I really love that I visit time and time again, which is about It's basically a science book and it teaches you how to identify plants through patterns so If the plant has a leaf shape like this or a leaf shape like this you go follow down the little Graph, and if it's got an even number, it's poisonous and if it's got an odd number you can eat it But if it's this color and so it you're training your brain how to identify plants in the wild and like their classifications based on like patterns and things like the shape of the leaves, how many segments of the leaves, how many petals, does it have a, pollen or what? So I like, if I'm going to sit down and read, I also feel this way about television because I do so much all the time, but if I'm going to sit down and dedicate upwards of an hour to something, I would like to learn something.

Jason Blitman: 44:12

Fascinating. First of all, I've learned that if I ever go I'm taking you with me.

Sammy Rae: 44:18

Yeah, I would

Jason Blitman: 44:18

Because that, I think, is one of the things that makes me nervous about something like camping, is not knowing what plant is gonna poison

Sammy Rae: 44:26

Oh, well, I mean the safe the the You know to be safe don't eat the plants You don't you can bring your own food like in a dire situation where you're like i'm stranded and nobody knows where I am Which if camper, you should not be backwoods camping extended periods of time on uncharted land But if you find yourself in that situation, a couple of really quick like boy scout rules you can learn but you can bring your own food

Jason Blitman: 44:51

I know. Listen, I'm a very glass half full person, but I also think worst case scenario.

Sammy Rae: 44:56

They're like, you must love true crime docs then. That's what it

Jason Blitman: 45:00

I honestly have a hard time with docs because then I, like can't sleep at How dare you?

Sammy Rae: 45:05

When my partner's not home, and I watch something spooky, have to call them And, be like, can you, just talk to me until I'm under the covers? and, they're always just like, why? Why do you, why? I can remove myself from it until every and then it's like, Brooklyn 1986 you know those serial killers running around and I'm like, oh, okay. everything I see on

Jason Blitman: 45:24

I was reading like a horror thriller recently, which is not typically my genre. And some of the scenes I had to squint my eyes because I couldn't close my I wasn't watching TV because I

Sammy Rae: 45:36

That is hilarious for you to be like do I do I want to read what comes next

Jason Blitman: 45:40

And I was like, this is so lame. It's not even blocking anything out, but it was my initial instinct of how to protect myself.

Sammy Rae: 45:47

It's like ever heard.

Jason Blitman: 45:47

Okay, wait. So you watch when you consume things on TV, it is things to learn. What are you watching documentaries, science things? What's something recently that

Sammy Rae: 45:56

I'm usually watching documentaries and science stuff. I mean, I'm a big David Attenborough fan like let's learn about What's going on on the planet fan what's going on on with weather patterns? That's really cool to me I guess You could say like earth earth sciences. No because You well yeah, but like, you know, I'm either

Jason Blitman: 46:14

went from a no to a yes

Sammy Rae: 46:16

Well, it does stress me out, but like, listen. I can either be miserable and do nothing, or I can be and try to those around me and contribute in the ways that I can. I can either like give birth to climate refugees or not have kids and I've always wanted kids let me figure out where I can most safely have kids You know what? I mean? We go to the Catskills actually interestingly the Catskills region is is Kind of Like climate scholars claim it to be one of the it will see the dramatic effects of climate change sort of last in the u. s

Jason Blitman: 46:45

Really?

Sammy Rae: 46:46

is interesting. So

Jason Blitman: 46:47

I should cut that out of the podcast. We don't want the prices to go up too much in the Catskins.

Sammy Rae: 46:52

I'll see you guys in Beak. I'll see you guys in, uh, Woodstock. I'll see you in

Jason Blitman: 46:55

Right?

Sammy Rae: 46:56

You know. Um, TV, it's that or it's documentaries. I recently watched, a short series, The Secrets of the Blue Zones. Have you heard about this? A blue zone? A blue zone is a place in the world that has an unusually high concentration of centenarians, which are folks over the age of 100. And they call these places blue zones. And so this guy basically was traveling to all these different blue zones. And there's one, as you can imagine, like in the heart of Greece, there's quite a few in Um, but then interestingly that there was also one in Northwest of the United States, and these folks were, Adventist Latter day Saints. And so many of them live past a hundred, because it's not just what you eat and your physical activity, it's like a sense of being part of something bigger, and a sense of They also practice vegetarianism, which is interesting. And like, being physically their faith practice, an important part of their lives. But then then he is in Greece and he's like, oh, the secret to a hundred is olive oil. Duh. And then he goes to Costa Rica and he's like, no, wait, nevermind. what happens when you these beans and these of corn. And he was really just kind of like unraveling. The secrets of

Jason Blitman: 48:04

Longevity. Yeah. Where does the blue come in?

Sammy Rae: 48:08

As he was explaining it, there was a a. Sort of like a seminal book written about the topic and The guy was to the the original person who started to investigate. is it that helps people live so long? he was just like marking the map with a blue marker and then he just started to call them blue

Jason Blitman: 48:23

fascinating.

Sammy Rae: 48:24

Yeah, and then I think it was like and it's something like a concentration of I think they're called octanarians people between 80 and 100 like that something And it's insane. There's hundred and nine year old man Costa Rica who is like chopping wood and riding horses and like using his upper body

Jason Blitman: 48:43

change anything in your life after watching that?

Sammy Rae: 48:46

Ugh, you're asking all the hard hitters. Um, well, they I just, I'm curious for my own, I'm like, oh, am I going to watch this and suddenly, become a I, I loved, I loved, there were two things stuck out to me. One which was passive exercise. there's this huge concentration of folks in, um, Okinawa who live a really long time for interesting reason which is there's a lot of stairs and there's very limited furniture. So old folks are climbing stairs all the time and they're also going down to the floor to sit and then getting themselves up all day long. And that's joint use and exercise you don't think about. Um, So I've been doing a little more of just like when I'm going up the stairs, I'm engaging my core, And like, if I am on a really long train ride or something, when I off and I stand up, I'll make sure I have a little stretch need to sit on the I could stand. Um, cause people think, Oh, well, you live long. So much of it's diet and some of it is diet too, but it's things like that, like passive exercise, or if you're milling corn all day long, or if you're somebody's Nana and you're this big giant pot with both hands Um, and then the other really thing was, companionship. There was this ridiculous statistic, like in the United States. If your long term partner passes away, it was something like you're 30 percent more to die in the next three years than you would be otherwise, which is insane. So those are the marks. I'm not certain that that was, it

Jason Blitman: 50:15

sure, sure. But like, the number was

Sammy Rae: 50:17

Yeah. So I'm just like, Oh, I'm feeling down. What will I do? I might go see my friend and strengthen our relationship that we might be friends into old age or something, you know

Jason Blitman: 50:28

my god. That is amazing. And good hot tips in general. that's worth watching the doc for that.

Sammy Rae: 50:35

I loved it. I loved every second of it. That was pretty unhinged what I just said, but I meant it

Jason Blitman: 50:40

No, I don't think so. Might you say that in watching that documentary there was Something for everybody.

Sammy Rae: 50:47

You're so cute The segue of segues, um, yeah, I guess so Oh

Jason Blitman: 50:56

Congrats on the new album!

Sammy Rae: 50:57

Oh my god, thanks! I'm, I'm beaming. I'm beaming. Thank you.

Jason Blitman: 51:03

But first full length, is that correct?

Sammy Rae: 51:06

is true.

Jason Blitman: 51:07

It's so crazy. Meanwhile, I'm like, I've had you on repeat for a very long time So I've just assumed that all of the albums have been full.

Sammy Rae: 51:15

nice of you to say, and I will say that every single individual, both peers and professionals and, and friends and family alike, um, every single one of them, oh, we're, you know, we're in the studio, we're doing, oh, we're working on our first full length album, everybody's like, no! No, I was like, yeah, yeah, well, you know, an EP is one thing. Um, And that, so an EP stands for extended play, which is between a single and six songs. and Then long play. as an LP, which is a full length album. That's six or more of course there's the single play. Um, which is just one. So we two EPs then the rest of it is just standalone singles. But we only had like 14 songs and we literally doubled our discography when we put the album Um, but it's a good problem to have but There's only so many tours where I can play the feeling and then go in to talk it up and then go into jackie Oh, and then you know what? I mean, like we needed more material Otherwise, you know

Jason Blitman: 52:14

Because otherwise people have seen it already.

Sammy Rae: 52:16

Oh, yeah, it's

Jason Blitman: 52:17

I'm sure people love hearing the songs that they know really well, but I'm sure, you know, it's reason to new places.

Sammy Rae: 52:24

Of those however many songs we have, there's really one or two that you can open the show with. Sometimes we would open, we'd follow me like the moon, but it's we're certainly not going to open with the box, you know, or certainly not going to hit you right in the face with the homosexuality of Jackie Onassis right at the top. Right. So it's, it.

Jason Blitman: 52:44

That is a way to weed out the crowd just in case.

Sammy Rae: 52:47

Oh my God. Yeah. The rainbow lights come up, the fans,

Jason Blitman: 52:51

In case you were wondering if we're queer!

Sammy Rae: 52:54

It's very much giving. We're here, we're queer, we're spheres,

Jason Blitman: 52:58

Yes! Oh

Sammy Rae: 52:59

But, yeah, so I guess, like, it, it, it, it was just time to get off the road and make more music.

Jason Blitman: 53:06

I have two ideas that I'm like, these are Sammy Ray and the Friends musicals that we'll talk about another day. But

Sammy Rae: 53:12

Wait, you to tell me what they are?

Jason Blitman: 53:14

um, no, not yet. I wouldn't

Sammy Rae: 53:16

this is a dream. This is a dream. Because it, it, the tough thing about not being on the road being stationary is You don't make money. And it also feels good to be going back on the road, not to just generate income, but like to work and fulfilled, right? contributing and doing the thing that you're supposed to do and it is thrilling and exhilarating to do that while in motion and traveling. But I would also love, and I have always had this sort of dream, down and doing Broadway for a couple months, you know, or I'm like freshly postpartum or something, and I'm It was commuting from my apartment to Broadway. And there's a couple of roles that I would the friends on hold for, because I come from theater. but the idea of writing a musical has always been really attractive to me. I wrote a, I wrote a full length straight play in high school It was a comedy.

Jason Blitman: 54:05

Now you should musicalize it.

Sammy Rae: 54:07

actually Some Friends music would actually make a lot of sense with that plot. Okay. Brilliant. idea.

Jason Blitman: 54:13

Heard it Here first. So funny. I'm so excited for you and the new LP, the first LP. If anyone is unfamiliar with Sammy Ray and the Friends, first of all, go listen wherever you listen to your music, but also I'm going to put a link in the show notes to the Let's Throw a Party video.

Sammy Rae: 54:33

Ha ha ha! That was so fun.

Jason Blitman: 54:35

out of control.

Sammy Rae: 54:37

Thank you.

Jason Blitman: 54:37

if you have not fallen in love with Sandy Ray and the Friends already, you will as soon as you're done listening to this episode.

Sammy Rae: 54:43

This is so nice. You are so kind.

Jason Blitman: 54:46

What the gays who read are here for. Anyway, Thank you for joining me on Gay's Reading. You're a delight. And even though you're not a big reader, what you read is important to the world. So

Sammy Rae: 54:56

Mmhmm.

Jason Blitman: 54:58

thank you for changing the world.

Sammy Rae: 54:59

oh, thanks Thank you? You can find us on Instagram at Sammy Ray Music, or you find our website www. sammyray. com. S A M M Y R A E, by the way. Um, and we're called Sammy Ray and the Friends, and we're a seven piece band that does a little bit of everything, and we're based in Brooklyn, New York.

Jason Blitman: 55:24

I know, and everyone's going to become obsessed with you.

Sammy Rae: 55:26

I hope. I'm obsessed with everybody, so. I literally wrote an album for everybody. It's because I'm obsessed with everybody. Oh,

Jason Blitman: 55:37

representing.

Sammy Rae: 55:38

love it. Thank you so much. Oh, so Good to meet You Jason.

Jason Blitman: 55:41

Very good to meet you too. Have a great rest of your day

55:43

Sammy Rae, thank you so much for being here, Nicole. Thank you so much for being here. Make sure to check out her new book, make sure to check out Sammy. Ray, wherever you listen to your music. Like, and subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Podcasts follow us on Instagram at gaze reading, and I'll see you next week. Bye.