Ep. 281: Author Kathy Anderson on Vamoose, Older Lesbians & Coming Out at 17

Kathy Anderson joins the show to talk about her new short story collection, Vamoose, fifteen stories centered on older lesbians standing on the edge of something new. She traces the book's title back to a single line of dialogue that captured the collection's spirit of letting go of the old to make room for the new.

The conversation moves through Kathy's own path: coming out at 17 in the late 1970s, building a career as a public librarian at a time when librarians were among the first professionals to organize an LGBTQ task force, and publishing her first book after 60 following years of writing, mentorship, and contest submissions. She and Zach talk candidly about writing humor alongside loss, why she resists cynical endings, and what it means to finally stop worrying what people think.

They also dig into queer literary history and access, from the 1989 Texas Pride Parade to present-day book bans, and Kathy highlights two resources for readers: the Queer Liberation Library (accessible free through the Libby app) and a new community library opening in Boston. Vamoose is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and directly through Vine Leaves Press.

Guest: Kathy Anderson, author of Vamoose (Vine Leaves Press)

In this episode:

• The story behind the title Vamoose
• Coming out at 17 and building a career as an out public librarian
• Balancing queer identity with literary fiction that reaches everyone
• Writing humor and loss in the same story
• Publishing a first book after 60
• The Queer Liberation Library and free access to queer books via Libby
• A new LGBTQ community library opening in Boston
• Reflecting on Pride history and today's book bans

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Kathy's Book: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/3988322067?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com 

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ

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