Say Nephew: On Boyhood, Unclehood, and Queer Mentorship — Steven Pfau in Conversation with Charles Stephens

This event takes place in person at Charis and on Crowdcast, Charis’ virtual event platform. This event is free, but registration is required for virtual attendance. Click here to register to attend virtually – https://www.crowdcast.io/c/say-nephew. Please read the in-person event guidelines at the bottom of this page to be sure you can participate in the event.

Charis welcomes Steven Pfau in conversation with Charles Stephens for a discussion of Say Nephew: On Boyhood, Unclehood, and Queer Mentorship, a profound and illuminating exploration of the mythology of gay uncles and the meaning of queer bonds across generations.

In Say Nephew, Steven Pfau blends memoir and criticism to celebrate the gay uncles who shape our sense of queer identity, culture, and history. The most influential figure in Pfau’s gay boyhood—the mentor who set the standard for all his future mentors—was his uncle Bruce.

A charismatic storyteller with a Burt Reynolds–esque bravado (and a mustache, leather jacket, and pair of cowboy boots to match), Bruce came out in 1950s Memphis and lived in New York City through many of the defining events of the gay liberation era. Bruce was both a unique fixture in his nephew’s upbringing and a link in a long lineage of uncles, literal and figurative, who have offered various forms of queer tutelage to younger men.

But what role is the nephew supposed to play in these relationships? And who does he become once his uncles are no longer there to guide him? Both a coming-of-age story and a wide-ranging study, Say Nephew is a wholly original and expansive consideration of queer mentorship.

About the Author

STEVEN PFAU is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of Idaho’s MFA program, and his work has appeared in DIAGRAM, Guernica, The Iowa Review, The Offing, Passages North, and other publications.

About the Conversation Partner

Charles Stephens is an Atlanta-based writer. His work has been supported by Tin House, Kimbilio, Lighthouse Writers Workshop, AWP, Periplus, and the Hambidge Center. His writing can be found or is forthcoming in Copper Nickel, StoryQuarterly, Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora, and elsewhere. Charles has also published essays and criticism in Atlanta Magazine, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Them, ArtsATL, and the Advocate. In 2014, he co-edited the anthology Black Gay Genius: Answering Joseph Beam’s Call which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Charles has been and continues to be active in community organizations such as Canopy Atlanta where he serves as Board Chair. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Counter Narrative Project.

The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Donate on Crowdcast or via our website: www.chariscircle.org/donate or in person at the event.

Charis Books is a fully wheelchair accessible space with on site van accessible parking, two ramps, and additional overflow accessible parking nearby. Additional accessibility information can be found on the Accessibility page of our website.

In-person event guidelines:
– All attendees must wear a face mask during the event.
– We will begin seating people at 7:00 PM ET.
– This event will be live-streamed via Crowdcast. Click here to register to attend virtually – https://www.crowdcast.io/c/say-nephew
– As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request specific accessibility accommodations, please contact info@charisbooksandmore.com or call the store at 404-524-0304.

Please contact us at info@chariscircle.org or 404-524-0304 if you would like ASL interpretation at this event. If you would like to watch the event with live AI captions, you may do so by watching it in Google Chrome and enabling captions: Instructions here. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don’t hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org.

By attending our event, whether in person or virtually, you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Unsolicited sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to Charis staff immediately or email info@chariscircle.org.