<p>Before we get to this week’s episode, I have a question for you. And that question is … do you have any questions for me? I ask because we’re coming up on the 500th episode of <em>The Sewers of Paris</em> next month, and to celebrate I’m going to be doing a special Q&A episode where I answer questions from listeners. So if you have anything you’d like to ask — whether it’s about the show, or for recommendations, or about pop culture and queer history — please send it along to at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p><p>Also, a head’s up that may be of interest: This week sees the release of Part 1 of <em>Wicked</em> — a musical inspired by <em>The Wizard of Oz</em>. And although, when I initially heard about the film, years ago, my first reaction was “oh, there’s no way that’ll be any good” … folks, I’ve seen it, and it is, in fact, very good. So to mark the movie’s release, I’m releasing special episode of my companion podcast, <a href="http://socastpod.com"><em>Matt’s So-Cast Pod</em></a>, where we talk about the strange parallels between the musical <em>Wicked</em> and the TV show <em>My So-Called Life</em> — both written by the same woman, Winnie Holzman.</p><p>And also, on this week’s <em>Sewers of Paris</em>, we’re diving deep into the archives for a chat about why <em>The Wizard of Oz</em> has had particular resonance for gay men ever since the book was first published over a hundred and twenty years ago. My guest is Josh Trujillo, who was so obsessed with Oz that as a kid he attended Oz conventions, and discovered that they served as a sort of meeting-place for older closeted gay men who felt unable to meet in public or in bars.</p><p>We spoke back in 2015 — it was the third-ever episode of this podcast! So my apologies that the audio quality is at times a little peaky. Nevertheless I hope you’ll enjoy this trip back in time.</p>
