Show Notes
We’re all still here, still ready to love, and to build community with trans books! In this extremely fun conversation, Cat Fitzpatrick talks about her poetry, her work with Little Puss Press, and a person called Crabstick. If you are wondering how all these things can go together and if you want to hear a fantastic poet speak about her favourite lyric forms as well as her favourite forms of activism, this episode is for you.
References: Cat Fitzpatrick’s The Dinner Party (Seven Stories Press, 2026) Little Puss Press Cat Fitzpatrick’s The Call-Out Cat Fitzpatrick’s Glamourpuss Meanwhile, Elsewhere (edited by Cat Fitzpatrick and Casey Plett) https://www.catfitzpatrick.net/ @intermittentcat Chiara Pellegrini The Earl of Rochester “A Letter from Artemesia in the Town to Chloe in the Country” Richard Barnfield Uxorious Virgil Aphra Behn Gwen Aube’s Missed Connections with Tall Girls Violet Allen’s Plastic, Prism, Void Sybil Lamb’s I’ve Got a Time Bomb Jeanne Thornton’s A/S/L Shola von Reinhold’s Lote Imogen Binnie’s Nevada Sophia Dahlin’s Glove Money Futurepoems Joss Barton's Goodbye to a Dream Believed
Questions you should be able to respond to after listening: Cat and I speak about several poetic forms in this episode. What is Cat’s take on poetic form and the patriarchy? What is yours? Which kinds of love do we speak about in the episode? Cat describes part of her writing process as “I hold on to my feelings until I can make use of them.” Can you relate to this? What does Cat mean when she talks about books as time capsules? How can literature help us build community and engage with trans rights?
More from Queer Lit
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We all know that trans people have existed throughout history, but what about before that? S.K. Marley does fascinating research on queerness and transness that predates written history and joins me to speak about what antler headdresses and wooden dolls might teach us about transness. We also discuss how transness, walking and wellbeing are entangled, which landscapes are the most nonbinary, and why ‘prehistory’ is a contested term in itself. Since we’re chatting in a beautiful park in York, this episode has some bonus bird song and squirrel mischief.
What does sound have to do with sexuality? C. Jade MacDonald has some fascinating insights on the queerness of noise, on trans voices in hyperpop, and on sound in literature. Learn about the queer kinship created by remixes and covers in contemporary music, but also about which sound technologies are historically entangled with sexology. My favourite bit: hearing about how Gertrude Stein resonates with SOPHIE.
Listen, this episode is as delightful as it sounds. Audiophile Stacey Copeland tells me all about feminist soundwork, radical radio, and lesbian podcasts – all of which Stacey writes about in the excellent new book Lavender Sounds. Tune in for the sonic histories, stay for the moment when Stacey illustrating the crafted intimacy of podcasts will make you a little weak in the knees. If you are interested in the politics and potential of audio media, you will absolutely love this episode.