Send us a text Send us a text In Episode 1 of Season 2, Christine and Jessica discuss I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This book has been deeply influential in Jessica's life since her 10th grade teacher, Ms. Snow, gave her a copy of the book. Christine--a longtime fan of Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman" and other poems--reads the book …

In this episode, meet educator Leslie M. Martino, founder of the Jude 3 Project Lisa Victoria Fields, and psychotherapist and bible teacher Dr. Sarita T. Lyons. Hear from Leslie M. Martino on the joyful intersection between parenting and teaching, Lisa Victoria Fields on the struggle to reconcile faith with experience, and Dr. Sarita T. Lyons on wr…

In this episode, meet filmmaker and actor Desiree Akhavan, astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker, and co-hosts of the Obitchuary podcast Spencer Henry and Madison Reyes. Go behind the mic to hear what inspired these authors, what surprised them most about recording their audiobooks, and what they are most excited for listeners …

Send us a text In this special bonus episode, Christine and Jessica recorded a conversation with NPR's Maureen Corrigan live at Wilkes University! Listen in to this incredible, wide-ranging conversation as Maureen--who recorded a Great Course about banned books throughout history--shares her vast knowledge with Christine, Jessica, and their audienc…

In this episode, meet poet and playwright Vincent Toro, New York Times correspondent Thomas Fuller, and journalist Barbara Bradley Hagerty. Hear how reading his audiobook helped Vincent Toro experiment with poetry performance, learn what special food Thomas Fuller ate before his recording sessions, and hear Barbara Bradley Hagerty describe the visc…

In this episode, meet pastor Oneka McClellan, Haiti Country Director for the UN World Food Programme Jean-Martin Bauer, and writer and former professional soccer player Georgia Cloepfil. Hear what inspired each of these authors to write their books, and what surprised them about reading their audiobooks. Plus, navigating tongue-twisters, emotions, …

In this episode, meet writer and lecturer Zara Chowdhary, former attorney and bestselling author Tara M. Stringfellow, and marine biologist Jasmin Graham. Listen in as these authors share insights into their works, and what made recording their audiobooks feel enriching, cathartic, and even magical.The Lucky Ones by Zara Chowdhary: https://www.peng…

In this episode, meet novelist Kevin Barry, novelist and poet Olivia Gatwood, and novelist and filmmaker Ruth Ozeki. Listen in as these authors share what felt most revealing, most humbling, and most like time travel in the process of recording their audiobooks. Plus, what they can’t wait for listeners to hear.The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry: ht…

In this episode, meet paleontologist John Long, writer and entrepreneur Nathaniel Eliason, and CEO of Soulcast Media Jessica Chen. Tune in to hear what these authors hope to teach listeners about sharks, cryptocurrency, and workplace communication.The Secret History of Sharks by John Longhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714624/the-secret-hi…

In this episode, meet independent editor and writer Alizah Holstein, writer and activist Jessica Goudeau, and journalist Nellie Bowles. Listen in to hear what big life moments inspired these authors to write their audiobooks, and how they would describe their time in the recording studio. My Roman History by Alizah Holstein: https://www.penguinrand…

In this episode, meet writer Brea Baker, founder and CEO of Babes Ciera Rogers, and writer and former Executive Editor of Teen Vogue Samhita Mukhopadhyay. Tune in to hear the beautiful story behind Brea Baker’s book Rooted, what Ciera Rogers is most excited for listeners to hear, and why Samhita Mukhopadhyay calls the experience of recording her au…

Send us a text In Part 2 of the season finale, Christine and Jessica watch and discuss the second half of Birth of a Nation (screenplay by D.W. Griffith and Frank E. Woods). Part 2 is...well, bonkers doesn't cover it. The racist wheels are OFF! What a way to end the season! Today is release day for Jessica's next book We Were Illegal: Uncovering a …

In this episode, meet writer, producer, and podcaster Priyanka Mattoo, actor, film producer, and film director Griffin Dunne, and speaker and former journalist Jess H. Gutierrez. Hear these authors share what it was like to fully inhabit their memoirs in the audio booth, and the recording moments that surprised and delighted them most. Plus, more b…

Send us a text In Part 1 of the season finale, Christine and Jessica watch and discuss the first half of Birth of a Nation (screenplay by D.W. Griffith and Frank E. Woods). The movie, which was the catalyst for the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the late 1910s and early 1920s, is groundbreaking technically and cinematically; it is also a deeply …

In this episode, meet therapist and founder of The Embodiment Institute Prentis Hemphill, writer and podcast producer Glynnis MacNicol, and hospice nurse Julie McFadden. Hear these authors on how they prepared to record their audiobooks, what it was like to get vulnerable behind the mic, and their favorite recording moments.What it Takes to Heal by…

Send us a text Jessica tells Christine about Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, an utterly beautiful graphic memoir about Bechdel's coming of age as a queer artist and the death of her father. The layered narrative is funny, poignant, brilliant, and heartbreaking. It's also one of the few books we've talked about to be challenged or banned at the post-gra…

In this episode, meet Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer Jon Meacham, founder and CEO of Khan Academy Salman Khan, and economic commentator Kyla Scanlon. Hear Jon Meacham on writing the life of President George H.W. Bush, Salman Khan on how artificial intelligence can have a positive impact on education, and Kyla Scanlon on helping lay people unders…

Send us a text Christine tells Jessica about A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen. The groundbreaking play premiered in 1879, and yet it's shockingly relevant today. Christine goes into the history of the play, the fascinating plot, and her own personal connection with the twists of this devastating story. Preorder Jessica's book, We Were Illegal: Uncove…

S9 E16: In this episode, meet former Apple executive and one of Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women” Denise Young, founder of The New Happy company Stephanie Harrison, and writer and cultural worker KB Brookins. Press play to hear about the unique way Denise Young prepared to record, the two big problems that inspired Stephanie Harrison to write her boo…

Send us a text Jessica tells Christine about The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, and the wild number of rabbit holes she went down in researching this fast-paced, often bonkers thriller: she's never seen so many papyrus-font-fueled conspiracy theories in her life. If you haven’t yet become a Patreon subscriber, you can join now for just $3 a month. In …

In this episode, meet Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, physician and Levels Health co-founder Casey Means, and culture, science, and nature writer Lucy Jones. Tune in to hear the one word Vanessa Angélica Villarreal would use to describe her recording experience, what Casey Means is most excited for her listeners to hear, and what inspired Lucy Jones t…

Send us a text 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…

In this episode, meet World Champion lacrosse player and Premier Lacrosse League co-founder Paul Rabil, psychotherapist Dr. Christy Angelle Bauman, and psychotherapist and founder of Brown Girl Therapy, Sahaj Kaur Kohli. Hear Paul Rabil on the ups and downs of pursuing elite performance (and how one of his personal life lessons came into play in th…

Send us a text 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…

In this episode, meet journalist Sean Patrick Cooper, writer Dominic Gordon, and writer Suzanne Scanlon. Hear what inspired these authors to write their books, and what most surprised them about recording their audiobooks. Enjoy!The Shooter at Midnight by Sean Patrick Cooper: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/625173/the-shooter-at-midnight-b…

Send us a text 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 situatio…

Send us a text 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 be…

In this episode, meet bestselling author Chanel Miller, bestselling author Amy Tan, and historian Nell Irvin Painter. Tune in to hear how each of these writers turned their everyday experiences into extraordinary audiobooks, and what they’re most excited for listeners to hear.Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All by Chanel Millerhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse…

In this episode, meet actor George Takei, bestselling writer Leila Mottley, and neuroscientist-turned-environmental journalist Clayton Page Aldern. Listen in as these authors share powerful histories and coming-of-age stories, from George Takei's childhood experience in a US internment camp during World War II, to Leila Mottley's poems of becoming,…

Send us a text 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 …

In this episode, meet novelist and non-fiction writer Anne Lamott, podcaster and founder of The Honey Scoop Ashley Hetherington, and chaplain and creator of the popular “Rude Ass Enneagram” Instagram account Elizabeth Orr. You’ll hear thoughts on love, thoughts on faith, and thoughts on adding humor to self-compassion. Plus, what it really takes to…

Send us a text 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 s…

In this episode, meet CNN anchor and Chief National Security Analyst Jim Sciutto, journalist Megan Kimble, and psychiatrist Dr. Alok Kanojia. Hear what inspired these authors to write their books, how they prepared to record their audiobooks, and what most surprised them about the recording process. Plus, find out who loves to listen to spy novels …

Send us a text 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 medi…

Send us a text 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 an…

In this episode, meet actress, playwright, and activist Najla Said, supermodel and co-founder of Model Mafia Cameron Russell, and Executive Director of the Undocumented Migration Project Jason De León. Tune in to hear these authors talk about their new work, and what it was like for them to record their audiobooks.Looking for Palestine by Najla Sai…

In this episode, meet Walela Nehanda, Olivia A. Cole, and Stephanie Kuehnert. Press play to hear what it was like for these authors to record the audiobooks of their new works for young adults, and discover who went to a Hozier performance in preparation for recording. Enjoy!Bless the Blood by Walela Nehanda: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/book…

Send us a text 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 Chr…

Send us a text 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…

In this episode, meet speaker and blogger Geraldine DeRuiter, writer and style influencer Lyn Slater, and communication specialist Elaine Lin Hering. Tune in to hear what inspired these authors to write their new books, and what it was like for them in the audiobook recording studio. Plus, learn why there should be a universal appreciation for tea …

In this episode, meet poet Rose McLarney, poet and novelist Morgan Parker, and journalist Shalene Gupta. Hear what it was like for these authors to record their audiobooks, and what surprised them most about the process. Enjoy!Colorfast by Rose McLarney: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/715727/colorfast-by-rose-mclarney/audio/You Get What Y…

Send us a text Christine tells Jessica about the history and reception of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye--still one of the most banned books in the US--in a surprisingly emotional conversation. "The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by Jessica Goudeau and Christine Renee Miller. Follow us on social media: @beautifulandbannedpod, @christinereneemill…

Send us a text Jessica explains to Christine about F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and Damned--a book that was not only banned, it gives a fascinating critique of censorship in the 1920s (plus it's where we got the name of our podcast!). "The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by Jessica Goudeau and Christine Renee Miller. Follow us on social me…

Send us a text Trailer for "The Beautiful and Banned," a weekly podcast diving into banned books, plays, and films now and throughout history with Christine Renee Miller and Jessica Goudeau. Find out more at beautifulandbannedpod.com. Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode! Episode 1 is coming Tuesday, 2.27.2024.…

In this episode, meet writer and editor Manjula Martin, stand-up comedian, writer, and actor Moshe Kasher, and entrepreneur and CEO of AppSumo Noah Kagan. Tune in to hear which passages were their favorites to record, and which author’s book inspired them to take up DJing.The Last Fire Season by Manjula Martinhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/book…

In this episode, meet writer Molly Roden Winter, physician and healthcare thought leader Dr. Uché Blackstock, and storyteller and birth and postpartum doula Brandi Sellerz-Jackson. Listen to hear how Roden and Sellerz-Jackson wrote the books they needed years ago, and which chapter Dr. Blackstock is most excited for listeners to hear.More by Molly …

In this episode, meet writer and poet Cole Arthur Riley, senior rabbi of IKAR Sharon Brous, and psychologist and professor Dr. Mariel Buqué. Press play to hear how these authors describe their recording processes, and how they felt hearing their words aloud. Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721989/black-…

In this episode meet CEO and founder of Tunnel Vision Madeline Pendleton, addiction psychiatrist and neuroscientist Judson Brewer, and creator, writer, and star of the YouTube channel How to ADHD Jessica McCabe. Tune in to hear the wide variety of friends, actors, and authors they would cast if they hadn’t narrated their books themselves, and more.…

In this episode, meet life coach Amanda Kuda, entrepreneur and Stanford d. school professor Grace Hawthorne, and founder and CEO of the Valuetainment YouTube Channel, Patrick Bet-David. Listen in to hear what inspired these authors to write their books, what it was like to record their audiobooks, and what they are most excited for listeners to hea…

In this episode, meet journalist Joe Nocera, poet and educator Tracy K. Smith, and Assistant Professor of Design Studies Lesley-Ann Noel. Tune in to hear about each of these authors’ experiences in the recording booth, and what they hope listeners will learn from their audiobooks.The Big Fail by Joe Nocera and Bethany McLean: https://www.penguinran…