Booked and Banned: The Podcast

Drawing the first season of Booked and Banned to a close,host Naomi welcomes Jennifer to discuss David Benioff’s 2008 historical fiction novel, City of Thieves . Jennifer, who studied Russian language and literature and lived in St. Petersburg, shares her personal connection to the setting and her curiosity about why this celebrated book has faced censorship. Set during the grueling 872-day Siege...

In this episode of Booked and Banned, Naomi welcomeslongtime friend and veteran educator Rhonda to discuss Toni Morrison’s 1981 novel, Tar Baby . While less frequently targeted than some of Morrison's other works, Tar Baby has faced challenges in schools and libraries. Critics often cite explicit content or language as the reason for removal,though these objections frequently mask a deeper dis...

In this episode, host Naomi is joined by guest Aaron to explore the complex legacy of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia .While beloved by many, the series has spent decades caught in a unique crossfire: challenged by religious conservatives for its use of "pagan" mysticism and magic, and criticized by secular groups and scholars for its paternalism and orientalist depictions. The con...

In this episode of Booked and Banned: The Podcast, we examine one of the most translated and widely read books in the world: Anne Frank’s diary. We specifically focus on the 1995 Definitive Edition, which restored a significant amount of material previously edited out by Anne’s father, and the more recent Graphic Adaptation by Ari Folman and David Polonsky. Joining the conversation is Karen Peirce...

In this episode of Booked and Banned , host Naomi is joined by Lori, a retired Army civilian attorney and mental health counselor, to discuss John Irving’s 1989 classic, A Prayer for Owen Meany . The conversation touches on the novel's intricate structure, its political bite, and the complex relationship between its two central characters. The Draw of Irving’s Prose: Lori shares that despite t...

In this episode of Booked and Banned , we examine thecomplicated legacy of Helen Bannerman’s Little Black Sambo . First published in 1899, the book tells the story of a young boy in India who uses his wit to outsmart a group of tigers. While the original narrative depicts a heroic child, subsequent American editions often utilized exaggerated racial caricatures that transformed the text into a sig...

In this episode of Booked and Banned, we look at AlanBrennert’s international bestseller, Moloka'i . The novel spans nearly a century of Hawaiian history, seen through the eyes of a young girl exiled to the Kalaupapa leprosy settlement. We explore how this story of resilience highlights the human spirit’s ability to flourish even under the shadow of state-mandated exile. Rosemarie is a technol...

This installment of Booked and Banned examines PierceBrown’s science fiction debut, Red Rising . The narrative transports listeners to a terraformed Mars where society is organized by a rigid, color-coded caste system. We follow Darrow, a member of the lowly Red caste, who discovers that the life of sacrifice his people lead is based on a fabricationmaintained by the ruling elite. The discussion f...

In this episode of Booked and Banned , we examine anovel that has navigated decades of scrutiny and acclaim with remarkable staying power: Sylvia Plath’s seminal work, The Bell Jar . Our guest, Amanda Golden , an Associate Professor ofEnglish at the New York Institute of Technology and a research affiliate at Smith College, shares her expertise on Plath’s only published novel. We discuss its uniqu...

A Note to Our Listeners: Before we begin, we experienced some technical difficulties during this recording. While the audio remains clear throughout the entire episode, the video feed occasionally cuts to black. We appreciate your patience with these hiccups. In this episode of Booked and Banned, we step into 124Bluestone Road to explore Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, Beloved...

In this bonus clip from a future episode, I explore thevital role of discomfort in literature. In a climate where many attempt to sanitize the reading experience to protect certain perspectives, we must remember that the true power of a story often lies in its ability to challenge us. When we avoid narratives that make us uneasy, we lose the opportunity totruly see the world through a different le...

In this episode we examine Daniel Keyes’ 1966 novel, Flowersfor Algernon . We are joined by Crissy Ladner, a high school Japanese teacher with a master's degree in journalism, to explore the story of Charlie Gordon. The conversation begins by tracing the story’s origins as a Hugo Award-winning short story from 1959 before its expansion into the NebulaAward-winning novel. We address the complex...

In this episode of Booked and Banned: The Podcast , we explore Mikhail Bulgakov’s 20th-century masterpiece, The Master and Margarita . Joining the conversation is Timothy Richardson, an economics graduate and Russian literature enthusiast, to discuss the novel’s surreal narrative and itsincredible journey from a burned manuscript to a global symbol of artistic defiance. The Three Strands of a Mast...

In this episode of Booked and Banned , we delve into Kurt Vonnegut’s 1969 masterpiece, Slaughterhouse-Five . We are joined by Wade Wood, the Director of English Education currently living in Japan, who shares his deeply personal connection to this frequently challenged classic. Wade discusses how the novel’s unique perspective on time and mortality provided him with a profound sense of comfort fol...

In this episode of Booked and Banned: The Podcast, hostNaomi is joined by advertising strategist Belle to explore the enduring impact and controversial history of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath . Belle brings a unique perspective on the intersection of culture, education, and human behavior to the discussion, helping to unpack why this Great Depression-era masterpiece remains a challenged bo...

In the final segment of this episode of Booked and Banned,the host and guest Robert wrap up their analysis of William Peter Blatty’s horror masterpiece, The Exorcist . Moving beyond the visceral shocks of the novel, the discussion focuses on the deeper philosophical and psychologicallayers that have allowed the book to endure for over fifty years. The conversation highlights the struggle between m...

In this episode of Booked and Banned , host Naomi sitsdown with Sue—a retired Army officer and former federal civilian with a background in DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility)—to discuss the powerhouse collaboration between Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan: MadHoney . Together, they explore the complexities of identity, theshadows of domestic violence, and the value behin...

In this episode, we explore one of the most challenged booksin American history: S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders . Written whenHinton was just 16 years old, this novel essentially launched the modern Young Adult (YA) genre by offering an authentic, gritty look at teenage life that bypassed the polished tropes of the 1960s. Joining the podcast is Paige , a professor specializing in children’s and young...

In this episode, Naomi is joined by Victorian literature scholar Dr. Amy Huseby, Executive Editor of SEL Studies in English Literature and Professor at Rice University, to dive into one of the most litigated books in history: D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover . Published privately in 1928 and banned for decades, the novel is a revolutionary text that challenged the British class system, indu...

Episode 2 – Fahrenheit 451 Show Notes In this episode, host Naomi Mercer is joined by software developer and lifelong sci-fi fan Jon Hirschi to dive into RayBradbury’s 1953 masterpiece, Fahrenheit 451 . They explore the chilling parallels between Bradbury’s dystopian vision and our modern world of digital distraction, the irony of censoring a book about censorship, and why "challenging ideas&...

Show Notes ·  The Book's Context and Conflict (Naomi): Naomi sets the stage by summarizing the novel's core themes: innocence, prejudice, justice, and systemic racism. She highlights that the book's controversial elements (racial slurs, handling of sexual assault and racial inequality) are the very reasons it faces censorship challenges today, as criticsargue it causes discomfort, whil...

Booked and Banned is a new podcast that discusses banned books. New episodes coming soon. [This trailer has been edited for sound, added captions, and reposted. I'm still learning how to use editing tools. Thanks for your patience!]