Barred Books

Hey hey book lovers and fascism haters! The episode of Barred Books brings us Brave New Worlds , the 2011 (yes I say 2001 in the intro, sue me) dystopian science fiction anthology edited by our guest, John Joseph Adams . He's the editor of Lightspeed and Nightmare magazines--be sure to check them out, and consider backing their kickstarter running through 10/15/26.  Featuring authors such as...

Hey hey book lovers and fascism haters! Join host Kelly Swails and feminist, writer, and and educator Veronica I. Arreola as they discuss two children's books that have faced book bans and criticism. The first, And Tango Makes Three written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell and illustrated by Henry Cole, features Silo and Roy, two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo who get the chance...

Hey hey book lovers and fascism haters! In this episode writer, editor, and journalist Alana Joli Abbott joins host Kelly Swails to discuss the beloved middle-grade classic A Wrinkle in Time. Published in 1962, the novel touches on several topics: alienation, friendships, the dangers of conformity, quantum mechanics, and time travel.  A plethora of cocktail recipes commemorate the 2018 movie adapt...

Hey book lovers and fascism haters! In this episode of Barred Books, Addie J. King joins us to discuss the seminal novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  Since this story is set at the tail end of the Prohibition/Depression era, we paired our discussion with The Greyhound , which is a mix of gin (or vodka, for you modernists) and grapefruit juice. You can use the linked recipe or follow our a...

Hello book lovers and fascism haters! The USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen novels, Jaye Wells, joins us in the house today. We're discussing Ray Bradbury's seminal work Fahrenheit 451 --many people think this book is about censorship--which it is, in a way--but its original intent was to show the inherent dangers of television. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, includ...

Hey everyone! In this episode, we brought in distinguished Afrofuturist, author, teacher, mentor, and community organizer Maurice Broaddus to discuss Octavia E. Butler's 1993 novel Parable of the Sower. Set in the years 2024-2027, it's an eerily prescient look at the effects of late-stage capitalism on the American populace. It should be required reading, but it has a Black protagonist a...

Hello book lovers and fascism haters! Today's Barred Book Episode features host Kelly Swails and guest Bryan Young discussing the classic book Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The author mentions Irish Whiskey in the first chapter, and since both Bryan and Kelly are writers, we paired this discussion with Writer's Tears. Cheers! 

In this episode, Susan J. Morris and host Kelly Swails sip on Margaret Atwoods while discussing the ever-more-relevant  The Handmaid's Tale . Get ready for some feminist rage! If you'd like to drink along with us, this cocktail is from Jennifer Croll's book Free the Tipple . I did not have a Collins glass handy so I skipped the ice and used a flute. Also, no garnish, because really,...