The Beautiful and Banned

Christine tells Jessica about Brokeback Mountain, the 2005 film based on a short story by Annie Proulx, with a screenplay written by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry. Often reduced to being called the "gay cowboy movie," as Christine tells Jessica, this complex film is actually about societal constraints and battering against cultural boundaries. As always, their conversation turns

In this teaser, you can hear the first 18 minutes of the rich conversation we had with Patty McCormick, author of SOLD, about a banned book that had a big impact on her. Tobias Wolff's THIS BOY'S LIFE is consistently one of the most challenged books in the country, and it prompted a rich discussion about life and art and why we write. The full episode is exclusively available to pa

Jessica tells Christine about Sold by Patricia McCormick, a 2006 National Book Award finalist about a young girl who was sex trafficked from Nepal to India. The book, which is told through a series of lyrical vignettes, is beautifully written, and builds empathy in its young readers for children who are forced into difficult situations. And yet, according to the American Library As

Christine chats with special guest, Lucie Tiberghien, about the works of Molière, who was banned 350+ years ago in France, what he did that got the church in France so angry, and why his work still speaks to us today.You can watch his play, The Miser, at "Molière in the Park" this April and May at Prospect Park in Brooklyn (links below)."The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by J

Jessica tells Christine about The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman, the remarkable graphic memoir written by the son of Holocaust survivors about his family's experiences, and the shocking reason why it's banned--we couldn't believe it. Come for the deep-dive discussion about stunningly beautiful literature about the most awful parts of human nature; stay for the rabbit hole about G

Christine tells Jessica about A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and they geek out about Hansberry's genius and the way she manages to write about so many core issues of her time in one single play, which would later be banned."The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by Jessica Goudeau and Christine Renee Miller. Follow us on social media: @beautifulandbannedpod, @christineren

Jessica tells Christine about The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and why it's been one of the top ten most banned books of the last decade, as well as the controversy around the author himself."The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by Jessica Goudeau and Christine Renee Miller. Follow us on social media: @beautifulandbannedpod, @christinereneemiller,

Christine tells Jessica about The Exorcist film (with a screenplay by William Blatty, based on the book by Blatty), including why it was banned, its effects on the audience at the time, and the real life "curses" on the movie set--plus a truly bonkers real-life ghost story!"The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by Jessica Goudeau and Christine Renee Miller. Follow us on social medi

Jessica and Christine discuss the images and controversial parts of Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe in this second episode of a two-part series; they also lay out the fears and worldviews that are leading to book banning, and what's at stake in these discussions right now. "The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by Jessica Goudeau and Christine Renee Miller. Follow us on social media: @

Jessica tells Christine how Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe came to be the most banned book in the US, in part one of a two-part series. "The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by Jessica Goudeau and Christine Renee Miller. Follow us on social media: @beautifulandbannedpod, @christinereneemiller, and @jessica_goudeau.You can find out how to support us at our Patreon link. If you’d lik