The Beautiful and Banned

In a special episode, Jessica interviews Kalyn Gensic and Kate Stover, who both work in her hometown of Abilene, Texas. Come for the in-depth conversation about what is happening on the ground right now in one corner of Texas; stay for the beautiful discussion about the teachers and librarians who have changed our lives. You'll want to send this to a teacher or librarian in your own life--we&...

We're back and we have missed you! Is it even a podcast if we haven't talked about Heated Rivalry?  In the first episode of Season 4, we are joined by special guest Nisha Sharma: a lawyer, award-wining writer, former corporate culture executive, scholar and author of over ten published books for teens and adults--and, more importantly for us, our dear colleague at Wilkes University ! We&...

Is George Orwell psychic? In this emotional season finale, Christine and Jessica discuss the rise of totalitarianism and Orwell's eerily accurate predictions. In prepping for the episode, they saw firsthand how AI is already doing the very thing Orwell warned us again--erasing our past in real time. And, as they recorded on the heels of a war that ended as quickly as it began, the idea of con...

In this short interlude, Jessica and Christine are together at the Creative Writing MFA program Wilkes University, where they met and they both teach. They tell you why there will be a one-week delay on the season finale--which gives you time to read George Orwell's 1984  along with them! Join us next Tuesday for the final episode of season 3!  Join the conversation on Substack ! If you'...

Christine and Jessica discuss Red, White, and Royal Blue, one of the most banned books in recent history: a royal romp with political overtones and a heart of gold. Jessica's life goal of getting Christine to read contemporary romance is unlocked! And even though Jessica was less than hopeful about Texas politics in this episode, just a few days after it was recorded, the first lesbian, Asian...

For the first time on this podcast, we're reading a book that is not banned: Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin is controversial and challenging, but not challenged--at least not yet. But it's such a seminal book for understanding where we are in the country, and how we can both criticize and love our country, that we decided to read it anyway. Listen in to this important conversatio...

In this short interlude, Jessica talks about why there's not an episode this week, what next week's episode will hold as we discuss our first book that has NOT been banned, and what's happening at the Library of Congress in the one of the most bonkers stories of our time (which is saying a lot). All links and quotes for today's LOC story can be found in today's article in...

To talk about ACOTAR, Jessica is joined this week by special guest Alyssa Morris, whose popular Romancing the Phone newsletter demystifies into BookTok trends and digs into the publishing industry. Alyssa and Jessica talk about the phenomenon of A Court of Thorn and Roses (banned statewide in Utah schools), what's really happening with romance and romantasy, and why these genres deserve such...

Read, Review, and Recommend! These are the suggestions by today's guest, children's book author, Rob Sanders, about how to support writers of challenged and banned books. Join us for this delightful conversation about the cutest book we will ever feature on this show, Book Comes Home: A Banned Book Journey-- Rob's most recent book that had us reminiscing about our own dearly beloved...

Is this the funniest episode about The Satanic Verses ever recorded? We like to think so! Join us as Christine and Jessica finish their discussion on this controversial book. Jessica loved it, Christine not so much, but they both found it deeply relevant to our current day.  Join the conversation on Substack ! If you'd prefer to be a Patreon subscriber, you can join now for just $3 a month ....

Christine and Jessica discuss one of the most controversial books in the world since its publication in 1988. Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses  caused an immediate uproar; after the Ayatollah Khomeini declared a fatwa, Rushdie spent ten years in hiding. Even when it was over, he was not safe: a knife-wielding attacker in 2022 stabbed him in the face and neck, resulting in several injuries...

Whew, Christine has THOUGHTS in today's episode as she and Jessica discuss All Boys Aren't Blue  by George M. Johnson, one of the most frequently banned books in the country. Christine makes the point that, just because a book shouldn't be banned, doesn't mean it shouldn't be critiqued. But what are the boundaries of that criticism, and how do we grapple with those questio...

In the first episode of season 3, Christine and Jessica ask the question that is on everyone's lips: WTF, USA? They look at the state of the country and book banning in these deeply unprecedented times--and still, as always, find both humor and hope. We announced in this episode: you can now find us on Substack too! Sign up to join our community and support our work; you can hear episodes of...

In this season finale, Christine and Jessica reflect on the first two seasons of "The Beautiful and Banned" in a year in which book banning has exploded in our country--more than 10,000 books were banned in the last school year alone, up from a record 3,000+ the year before. After two seasons of the podcast, Jessica and Christine talk about what they've learned, four moments that st...

Christine and Jessica discuss Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. This seminal work explores the idea that we are always connected to our national and familial past--in this case, literally. As they discuss, many of the concepts in The Handmaid's Tale that are apocalyptic possibilities--oppressive treatment of women, forced pregnancies, restricting the right to read and write--are all things that a...

Carolyn Foote, co-founder of Texas FReadom Fighters joins Christine and Jessica in a riveting conversation about the recent history of book banning in the US, and what's about to come. This discussion blew our minds--we understand the outrage, the fear, and the political strategies in totally new ways. Of course it was the experienced librarian who is also a freedom fighter whose words change...

Jessica and Christine discuss THE HANDMAID'S TALE, a shockingly relevant book for our current political moment. As Margaret Atwood says in her 2017 introduction to the 1985 books, times of political authoritarianism bring out the true believers, sadists, and opportunists, and the "literature of witness" is an important "act of hope." Join in as Christine and Jessica laugh...

GO VOTE! On this Election Day, Christine and Jessica talk about The 1619 Project by focusing on two essays in particular: "Capitalism" by Matthew Desmond and "Politics" by Jamelle Bouie. These essays provide fascinating insights into our current own moment--and the inequality and tensions that were built into our political systems from the very beginning. It's perfect to l...

In a continuation of last week's episode, Christine and Jessica discuss THE 1619 PROJECT by Nikole Hannah-Jones, the New York Times Magazine, and others, especially "Democracy" (by Hannah-Jones), "The Creation of Race" (by Dorothy Roberts), and "Sugar" (by Kahlil Gibran Muhammad). They talk about why this book is controversial, what it means for it to be a "...

In this mini-episode, Christine and Jessica have a live conversation at the Brooklyn Public Library's first ever Freedom to Read Rally at the Grand Army Plaza! On October 19, the BPL organized a nationwide rally with more than 200 libraries across the country celebrating our freedom to read. Jessica and Christine talk about The 1619 Project and the importance of allowing people to learn a mor...

ON SATURDAY, OCT. 19, JOIN CHRISTINE AND JESSICA AT THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY! Stay tuned for the end of the episode for all the details about Saturday's " Freedom to Read Day of Action Rally ," and see if one of the other 300 events that day throughout the country is happening near you! This episode is a little different: inspired by last week's episode with Courtney Gore, J...

THIS EPISODE, y'all. Christine and Jessica have an absolutely fascinating conversation with Courtney Gore, a school board member from Granbury ISD. Courtney ran on a campaign to change what was happening in public schools because she'd heard that there were groups actively trying to sexualize children, particularly through the "Social and Emotional Learning" (or SEL) curriculum...

Christine tells Jessica about Fahrenheit 451 the Musical...oh, wait, no, that's just what she invented on the spot. This is about the 1953 novel by Ray Bradbury, a staple of high school and college classrooms that  eerily predicts our own ban-happy, screen-happy times. Come for the discussion of one of a canonical banned book, stay for Christine's extemporaneous show tunes--the musical i...

Jessica interviews Charley Rejsek, the CEO of BookPeople, the largest independent bookstore in Texas (and Jessica's hometown bookstore in Austin). This incredible conversation sheds light on what is happening in Texas, which is, in many ways, the epicenter of the fight for the freedom to read. Recent legislation in Texas demands that bookstores--already operating on razor thin margins--do the...

In Episode 3, Jessica tells Christine about Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. This fast-paced book--which shows "what life might have been like for a queer Asian American girl who dreamed of rocket ships, growing up in the 1950s"--is a coming-of-age narrative with a love story. However, it's also a deeply poignant book that tells a story that is all too familiar: how a...