Hi friends! In case you missed it, Jonny Garza Villa and I are starting a podcast! If you know me at all, you might be wanting to shake me for adding something else to my plate with my already busy schedule and crumbling mental health, but I assure you this is a net positive for me! With so much collective grief, and everything being on fire despite the ongoing ICE infestation, I need something to keep my own fire from burning out. There’s no fighting the good fight if I’m too depressed to move, so I thought it would be nice to have a fun project that might help to rekindle the joy I once had in the work I do. I texted my friends about it, thinking they might bring me back down to earth and tell me I don’t have the time. Instead, Jonny said “Do you need help?”
And Bidi Bidi Book Pod was born!
Art by Lee Call
Bidi Bidi Book Pod is a bookish podcast committed to celebrating queer and trans BIPOC stories and storytellers, sharing our experiences within the publishing industry, and discussing what it is to exist as a queer, trans BIPOC creative today.
Our first episode airs on February 3 wherever you listen to your podcasts! We have some really fun interviews coming up with other queer BIPOC authors. Some running themes of the podcast will be celebrating books we love, sharing our experiences in the publishing industry, and maybe talking a wee amount of shit.
For every episode, we’ll be recording an exclusive section just for Patreon. Anything from AMAs to secret projects to conversations too “controversial” for the general public—all of it will be available for our patrons. Since we are so new, we wanted to reward the first wave of subscribers, so a limited number of spots will get full access to the highest patreon tier for just $1, forever—or until you cancel your subscription. If you just feel like being generous and helping us pay for production costs, but don’t care about the rewards, we also have a Ko-fi where any tips are greatly appreciated!
We also got approved as an affiliate on bookshop.org! Here, you can find books from us, our interview guests, and any books that get recommended on the podcast.
You can find more info on our website. Hope you enjoy!
Born and raised in Arizona, Sonora Reyes is the award-winning and bestselling author of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, The Luis Ortega Survival Club, The Broposal, and The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar. They also have contributed short stories to the anthologies Transmogrify! and For the Rest of Us.
They write fiction celebrating queer and Mexican stories in a variety of genres, with current projects in both kidlit and adult categories. Sonora is also the vice-president of My Galvanized Friend, a nonprofit focused on providing access to and amplifying LGBTQ+ writing, art, and creators. They also are a founder and co-host of the podcast Bidi Bidi Book Pod, dedicated to celebrating queer and trans BIPOC authors and stories.
