Seen and Obscene

from Borrowed & Returned · host Brooklyn Public Library

The birth of obscenity laws in the 1870s provides a cautionary tale for the present moment, when far-right conservatives incorrectly label books “sexually explicit” as a way to provoke outrage in communities nationwide. This episode, we delve into the parallels that history can reveal and hear from students in Texas fighting for their freedom to read. You can read a transcript of this episode here.Our calls to action for this episode:Be an ally and an advocate for the teens in your life. Start a conversation about what matters to them, and how you can help.Support getting more LGBTQ+ affirming books into classrooms: Rainbow Library is a program created by GLSEN that allows school staff to request a set of 10 free LGBTQ+ books for their own classrooms. More resourcesCheck out some of the books mentioned in this episode. If you live anywhere in the US and are between the ages of 13 and 21, you can check out those books (and many more!) with a Books Unbanned library card. Learn more about Cameron Samuels, Da'Taeveyon Daniels, and their organization SEAT: Students Engaged in Advancing Texas.Read the PEN America reports about book bans in schools for the 2021-2022 school year, and 2022-2023.Delve into the history of censorship with Amy Werbel's book Lust on Trial and read her article about the parallels to today, co-authored with PEN America's Free Expression and Education Director Jonathan Friedman

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Oct 12, 2023

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

What this episode covers

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

Ready to play

Seen and Obscene

0:00 27:17

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

Yasir Qadhi Muslim Central Yasir Qadhi was born in Houston, Texas and completed his primary and secondary education in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, after which he was accepted as a student at the Islamic University of Madinah.After completing a diploma in Arabic, he graduated with a B.A. from the College of Hadith and Islamic Sciences.Thereafter, he completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology from the College of Dawah, after which he returned to America and completed his doctorate, in Religious Studies, from Yale University. Currently he is teaching at Rhodes College, in Memphis, TN. No Mercy No Mercy with Tommy G Deemed too hard for the radio, Tommy G has finally returned to the podcast airwaves talkin‘ sports, life, and the weakness of an entire generation Radio Orbit Mike Hagan My name is Mike Hagan. I am the host and producer of KOPN's Radio Orbit.Radio Orbit focuses on emerging technology: AI, Biotech, Cryptocurrency, Energy, Robotics, Bionics, Space Travel, Designer Drugs, Entheogens, Man/Machine Interfacing, Nanotechnology, etc. I also love poetry, visual art and music and showcase a unique musical artist each week, throughout the program.Orbit features a number of regular segments - In depth interviews with leaders in the fields mentioned above, space weather, tributes in memorial and current news. I also open the phones often to hear from listeners.The program airs every Monday from 11PM - 2AM CST on KOPN 89.5 FM in Columbia, Missouri, USA. The show can be streamed live at: www.kopn.orgPrevious programs can be accessed in the archives at: https://www.mikehagan.com/radiOrbit_Archives.htmRadio Orbit began in August of 2004 and broadcast until mid 2008. The show returned to KOPN in September, 2018.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Borrowed & Returned?

This episode is 27 minutes long.

When was this Borrowed & Returned episode published?

This episode was published on October 12, 2023.

Can I download this Borrowed & Returned episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!