The Beautiful and Banned

Mar 27 2025 36 ep. 60 mins 1
The Beautiful and Banned Podcast artwork

A weekly conversational podcast with Christine Renee  Miller and Jessica Goudeau about banned books, plays, and films now and throughout history--with occasional guests. 

  Society & Culture  Arts  History
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S3, E3: The Satanic Verses, Part 1

Mar 27 2025 55 mins  
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

S3, E2: All Boys Aren't Blue

Mar 11 2025 65 mins  
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 questions in an a

S3, E1: WTF, USA?

Feb 25 2025 59 mins  
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 e

S2, E 14: Season Finale Reflections

Dec 10 2024 69 mins  
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 s

S2, E 13, Kindred

Dec 03 2024 66 mins  
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 th

S2, E12: Carolyn Foote from Texas FReadom Fighters

Nov 26 2024 59 mins  
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 w

S2, E11, The Handmaid's Tale

Nov 19 2024 66 mins  
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 and cry a

S2, E10: The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones (Part 3)

Nov 05 2024 60 mins  
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 listen to

S2, E9: The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones (Part 2)

Oct 29 2024 66 mins  
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 "new origin story," and t

S 2, E 8: The Freedom to Read Rally (The 1619 Project part 1)

Oct 22 2024 28 mins  
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