If you are looking for some good summer reading, we had you covered last night on The Agenda with Joe Solmonese. It was a veritable book club with authors of every stripe and with regular co-host Mary Breslauer on vacation, Joe was joined by Courtney Snowden – a director at The Raben Group and president of DC Black Pride.

Kicking off the show was Kristina Wilfore, executive director of Ballot Initiative Strategy Center. With marriage bans on the ballot in Arizona, California and Florida – along with measures across the country ranging from affirmative action to renewable energy – there was a lot to discuss. Download parts one and two or listen:
Part one:
Part two:

Then we welcomed Wayne Besen, executive director of Truth Wins Out – a non-profit think tank and educational organization that counters right-wing disinformation, debunks the ex-gay myth and provides accurate information about the lives of GLBT people. He discussed his recent trip to Asheville, NC countering the ex-gay group Exodus International and his campaign to stop James Dobson’s induction into the Radio Hall of Fame. Download or listen:

Switching topics, we were joined by author Jennifer Storm. Her memoir, “Blackout Girl” tells her story starting with her first beer at the age of 12 and how bad decisions and addiction almost cost her life. Download or listen:

Another fascinating new book is from author, English professor and former stripper Craig Seymour. While a student at the University of Maryland, he began studying Washington DC’s notorious male strip clubs and eventually became a performer himself. He lays it all out in his book, “All I Could Bare.” Download or listen:

Wrapping up our summer reading special was David Valdes Greenwood. Dubbed by NPR as today’s “gay Erma Bombeck” he tells a classic love story with a few twists in his book, “Homo Domesticus: Notes from a Same-Sex Marriage.” Download or listen:

Of course, we had to hit the political news of the day and joining us live from our New York studios was Alex Koppelman. He edits the popular Salon.com news blog “War Room” and we discussed Sen. Obama’s world tour, the “veepstakes,” the national implications of state marriage bans and more. Download or listen:

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