Bonus: Topher Payne
“If I can teach a young person that you should never diminish yourself for the comfort of others...that was my entire lived experience of being a queer kid. Tone it down to make other people comfortable.”
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As part of our episode BODIES (Part 2), I had a wonderful conversation with playwright, screenwriter, actor, director, and educator Topher Payne. To fit within the episode I edited that interview down significantly, but it was such a wonderful, warm, and illuminating conversation that I felt compelled to release the full interview as a bonus episode. We talk about his childhood in suburban-rural Mississippi, putting down roots and becoming a full-time writer in Atlanta, his series of children's book parodies "Topher Fixed It", all the things his parents got right (and what they didn't prepare for), and finding mentors and strength in a community of choice. Follow Topher on Instagram at @TopherWrites, and find out more about him on the web at TopherPayne.com!
