Night at the Baths

Night at the Baths

Author: New Books Network September 16, 2025 Duration: 59:50
Disco didn't just happen—it emerged from the vibrant gay club scene of 1970s New York City. In this episode, hosts Ryan Purcell and Kristie Soares explore how iconic venues like the Continental Baths, the Mineshaft sex club, and the legendary Paradise Garage became part of a musical revolution that transformed popular culture. Joining them is Lucas Hilderbrand, Professor and Chair of Film and Media Studies at UC Irvine and author of the groundbreaking book The Bars Are Ours: Histories and Cultures of Gay Bars in America, 1960 and After (Duke University Press, 2023). Together, they trace the fascinating connections between New York's underground gay scene and the rise of legendary DJs like Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles, while uncovering how these same spaces launched the careers of mainstream superstars, including Bette Midler and Barry Manilow. From intimate bathhouses to pulsing dance floors, discover how gay culture didn't just influence disco—it created it. The conversation also touches on Hilderbrand's companion archival project, The Bars Are Archived: Primary Sources for Gay Bars in America, which is available through Alexander Street's Queer Pasts collection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/lgbtq-studies

Dive into the vibrant and evolving world of queer scholarship with New Books in LGBTQ+ Studies. This podcast, part of the broader New Books Network, functions as a unique academic audio library, bringing rigorous yet accessible conversations directly to your ears. Each episode features an in-depth dialogue where authors discuss their latest publications with a knowledgeable host, unpacking the ideas, research, and personal journeys behind their work. You’ll encounter a rich spectrum of topics that span the categories of arts, culture, society, health, and sexuality, reflecting the interdisciplinary heart of LGBTQ+ studies. Rather than dry lectures, these are lively explorations that connect academic research to lived experience and contemporary issues. The format allows for nuanced discussion you simply can’t get from a book jacket or review, offering listeners a front-row seat to the cutting edge of queer thought. It’s an invitation to engage with the scholars who are shaping our understanding of identity, community, history, and politics. For anyone curious about the depth and breadth of queer scholarship-from seasoned academics to dedicated allies and lifelong learners-this channel provides a consistently enlightening resource. Tune in to hear the voices defining the field, one compelling book at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

New Books in LGBTQ+ Studies
Podcast Episodes
Ian Miller, "Self-Esteem: An American History" (Polity Press, 2024) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:29
By the end of the twentieth century, the idea of self-esteem had become enormously influential. A staggering amount of psychological research and self-help literature was being published and, before long, devoured by rea…
Ruth Vanita, "A Slight Angle" (India Viking, 2024) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:45
A Slight Angle (India Viking: 2024), the newest novel from Indian writer Ruth Vanita, is a story about love. Difficult love–her six characters are growing up in 1920s India, which takes a dim view of same-sex relationshi…
Sara Glass, "Kissing Girls on Shabbat: A Memoir" (Atria, 2024) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:57
Growing up in the Hasidic community of Brooklyn’s Borough Park, Sara Glass knew one painful truth: what was expected of her and what she desperately wanted were impossibly opposed. Tormented by her attraction to women an…
Joanne Rosenthal, "Sex: Jewish Positions" (Hirmer Verlag, 2024) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:47
Freelance curator Joanne Rosenthal joins Jana Byars to talk about Sex: Jewish Positions (Hirmer, 2024) and its concomitant exhibition at the Jewish museums in Berlin and Amsterdam. This book is also available in German w…

«1...678910