The Gay Coming-of-Age Novel You Didn't Know You Needed — Our Interview with Robert Raasch | Ep 25
🎙️ New episodes every Thursday | Hosted by Blaine & Reed
☕ A Coffee with Gays First-Ever Author Special
Yes, Blaine was starstruck. And yes, we left that in.
In our first-ever author interview, we welcome novelist Robert Raasch, whose debut novel The Summer Between takes us back to 1978 — before Grindr, before DEI, before the word “community” got co-opted into a rainbow ad. Set in a pre-AIDS Greenwich Village, the book follows Andy Pollock, a closeted high school senior who finds himself (and maybe love?) in the city for one life-altering summer.
What follows in this episode is part literary salon, part red-flag dating game, and part emotionally chaotic gay boy banter. Robert opens up about turning personal memory into fiction, how writing can be therapy (until it isn’t), and the process of shaping a story that feels both personal and universal. We talk about the women who shape gay men, the architecture of Chicago, and the fantasy of living in New York before anyone knew what “viral” meant.
This one is heartfelt, hilarious, and unexpectedly healing. Come for the book, stay for the banter.
✨ WHAT YOU’LL HEAR
- Why Robert set The Summer Between in 1978 NYC
- First love stories that still sting 40 years later
- How writing fiction can be the most honest thing you do
- 🚩 A savage round of Red Flag or Dealbreaker
- What makes a queer story matter in 2025
💬 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Coming out is always messy, even in fiction
- Community used to mean showing up in person
- Some stories are too big for 280 characters
- Women allies are often the blueprint for gay survival
- A good book doesn’t end when it’s over
🔊 SOUND BITES
- “Tell your stories. Just write.”
- “This book felt like flipping through someone else’s memories.”
- “I ignored the red flag… and then made excuses.”
- “I wanted a book where the gay kid doesn’t die.”
- “Writing’s not always therapy. Sometimes it just rips you open.”
🕛 CHAPTERS
00:00 — Blaine’s Starstruck Intro & Robert’s Arrival
00:40 — Why 1978? Setting the Stage for The Summer Between
02:56 — NYC Before AIDS: Community, Danger, Freedom
04:18 — Building Andy Pollock: Authenticity & First-Love Feels
08:52 — The Women Who Saved Us — Female Influence in Queer Stories
10:35 — From Early Draft to Final Book (Writing Process)
16:15 — Family Dynamics & Coming-Out Shockwaves
19:46 — First-Love Lessons That Still Sting
22:22 — Open-Ended Endings & Sequel Tease
25:14 — Reader DM’s That Made Robert Cry
26:03 — Casting Dreams: Who Plays Andy on Netflix?
27:20 — Would TikTok Have Ruined 1978?
29:07 — Advice for Aspiring Writers (Just. Write.)
29:24 — Publishing Hustle — Rejection Letters & Persistence
36:19 — What’s Next: New Projects & Architecture Obsessions
43:36 — 🚩 Red Flag Dating Game Begins
46:18 — The Drunk-Date Dilemma (We’ve All Been There)
49:15 — Preferences vs. Dealbreakers — Where’s the Line?
51:36 — Commitment in the App Era
54:03 — Authentic Profiles & Catfish Nightmares
55:58 — Final Reflections & Friendship Toast
📍 WHY IT MATTERS
Some stories change your life. Some remind you who you were. This one? It does both. Whether you're 18 or 81, The Summer Between is the kind of book that makes you feel seen.
📹 Watch the full episode on YouTube
🎵 Audio live on all podcast platforms
📲 Follow @coffeewithgays and subscribe for more brunch-table realness.
Follow Us! The Hosts are on our linktr.ee 😉
🌐 Visit our Linktree For All the Socials
🕺 Follow us on TikTok
🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
📸 Follow us on Instagram
🐦 Follow us on Twitter
🍏 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe on Spotify Podcasts
❤️ Subscribe on iHeart Radio
🌍 Check Out Our Website: https://www.coffeewithgays.com/