S3E6: Adam Zmith, Author of Deep Sniff: The History of Poppers and Queer Futures
Episode description
While researching poppers one day, I thought, "Gosh, wouldn't it be great if someone just wrote an informative, comprehensive and witty a book about them." Author Adam Zmith, did just that.
I literally took a week off of work to bunker down and read Deep Sniff so I could share this interview. Poppers, known technically as amyl nitrates or "VCR cleaner," more recently, are the subject at hand in Deep Sniff, historically being used to treat Angina and other ailments long before becoming the party drug many know and love.
Zmith articulately guides the conversation, from the creation of poppers, its recreational use in the 60's and 70's, the decline of use and stigma during the AIDS epidemic and its resurgence in not only queer nightlife but mainstream culture in general. Enjoy!