Landlord Arsonists with Bench Ansfield episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 15, 2025 · 38 MIN

Landlord Arsonists with Bench Ansfield

from Sad Francisco · host Toshio Meronek, Tyger Ligon, Bench Ansfield

Bench Ansfield is a professor in the History department at Temple University. Their book "Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City" covers how racial capitalism, political corruption, and the insurance industry created a world where landlords can profit more by burning their own buildings down than maintaining them. They were also part of the research team on the 2019 documentary "Decade of Fire". Bench Ansfield https://www.benchansfield.com Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City https://citylights.com/new-nonfiction-in-hardcover/born-in-flames-bronx-arson-1970s Decade of Fire https://decadeoffire.com Born in Flames (the film the book was named after) https://www.criterion.com/films/30707-born-in-flames Let the Fire Burn: documentary about MOVE's infamous eviction in Philadelphia  https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/let-fire-burn Recent episode on the fire at 22nd and Mission with Angelica  https://www.patreon.com/posts/aftermath-of-at-135107521

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Landlord Arsonists with Bench Ansfield

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Bench Ansfield is a professor in the History department at Temple University. Their book "Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City" covers how racial capitalism, political corruption, and the insurance industry...

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