Rogue Librarians

Rogue Librarians
  • 4.6 (11)
  • Books
  • Biweekly

Since 2021, an unprecedented number of Young Adult books, especially ones with LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters, have been removed from libraries across the country. In this podcast, our mission is to provide clarity and context during this period of record-breaking book challenges by discussing banned books. Please join us for our conversations! Books are meant to be read.

  1. 4d ago ·  Bonus

    86. Bonus: The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Just for Fun)

    In this, our last bonus episode for our banned books month extravaganza, we celebrate the freedom to read while discussing Kate Quinn’s The Astral Library, a magical library-centered novel that doubles as a love letter to libraries and the people who use them. We discuss the book’s sanctuary theme, the rules of the Astral Library, the tension around library boards, and why libraries matter as real-world places of refuge, access, and community support. The following subjects came up during our discussion: Louise Penny’s Three Pines series featuring Inspector Gamache Former Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden’s time as director of Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library, where she kept the library open during the 2015 protests over the death of 25 year old Black man Freddy Gray while in police custody.     Information on Library Boards The ALA’s “The Role of Library Trustees”  and   Pennsylvania’s Office of Commonwealth Libraries document Public Library Operations and Board Governance: Governing the Library The defunding of the Samuels Public Library in Front Royal, Virginia. Louisiana school librarian, Amanda Jones, author of That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America,   Rogue Librarians Episode 42: Interview with Librarian and Author Amanda Jones  Images of some amazing book dresses that may or may not have inspired Kate Quinn.  If you would like to join the conversation, please check out our website, theroguelibrarians.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky, TikTok at Rogue Librarians Pod. Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts, and please leave us a rating and review. If you would like to support us financially, please join our Patreon at patreon.com/roguelibrarians. This podcast was produced by us, Marion and Dorothy. Sound editing by Dorothy, Assistant Producer Heather, Social Media Director Simon, and music by Chris. Special thanks to Alana the Lioness, our co-founder and forever host, Lizzie, the obstinate, headstrong girl who taught us all about sound editing, and our loyal Patreon supporters. Finally, thanks to all of you for reading with us, because, "Any book worth banning is a book worth reading." ~Isaac Asimov.

  2. Oct 21 ·  Bonus

    85. Bonus: Interview with Ashley Hope Perez and Elana K. Arnold about the anthology "Banned Together"

    When you’re fighting censorship, the goal isn’t just to say “this is bad.” It’s to make sure kids can still find the books, the stories, and themselves.   In our conversation with authors Ashley Hope Pérez and Elana K. Arnold, we talk about how the anthology Banned Together helps librarians, teachers, readers, and writers stand up for the freedom to read—and build community along the way.  What are you protecting right now: a book, a voice, or a space? The following things came up during our discussion. Rogue Librarians Episode 10. Out of Darkness: Interview with Ashley Hope Pérez Rogue Librarians Episode 23. Interview with Author Elana K. Arnold   Libro.fm: a digital audiobook platform that lets you buy audiobooks while sharing its profits with a local independent bookstore of your choice. It serves as an ethical alternative to services like Audible, offering a massive catalog of titles that you truly own  How to Defend Books and Why: Book Bans and How We Fight Them, by Danny Caine Accountable:  The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed, by Dashka Slater Grandad's Pride (A Grandad's Camper LGBTQ Pride Book for Kids in partnership with GLAAD), You can find Ashley Hope Perez via her website: Home - Ashley Hope Pérez; email: novels@ashleyperez.com; Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ashleyhopeperez; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ashley-Hope-P%C3%A9rez/167177466648492; Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4394044.Ashley_Hope_P_rez; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyhopeperez/  You can find Elana K. Arnold via her website: elanakarnold.com; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElanaKArnold/; Twitter: https://twitter.com/elanakarnold; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elanakarnold/

  3. Oct 14 ·  Bonus

    84. Bonus: Interview with Amber McBride

    Week, schmeek, we’re celebrating  Banned Books Month and our freedom to read throughout October.  This week we talk with author and poet Amber McBride about her novel in verse, The Leaving Room, which turns big questions about death, story, and spirit into something tender and human.  Our conversation ranges from books and storytelling to censorship and the comfort literature can offer young readers. Amber reminds us that reading can be joy, resistance, and freedom all at once.  And yes — the freedom to choose what we read matters more than ever.  We are not saying read everything.  We are saying people should have access, choice, and context. That distinction changes everything. You can find Amber McBride at  amber-mcbride.com and on Instagram, Tiktok, and Threads @ambsmcbride Books and media we discussed during our conversation include: Tar Beach, by Faith Ringgold Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak Anything at all by Judy Blume Films The Shape of Water and Frankenstein directed by Guillermo del Toro,  The Poem “Literal” from Ani DiFranco Verses, by Ani DiFranco Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West  by Gregory Maguire  The Oz Books by L. Frank Baum  The Netflix Documentary High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America based on the book High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris

  4. Oct 7 ·  Bonus

    83. Banned Books Week, "The Library Book," with Special Guest Sam Helmick

    Join us as we kick off our celebration of banned books week and our freedom to read.   We welcomed  back our friend Sam Helmick, the immediate past president of the American Library Association, to discuss Susan Orlean’s marvelous book, The Library Book.   During our discussion, we brought up a few prior episodes of Rogue Librarians, including: Episode 17. The Librarian of Basra (Part 1: Why It's Banned) Episode 18. The Librarian of Basra (Part 2: Close Reading) Episode 54. Fahrenheit 451 (Part 1: Why It’s Banned Episode 53. Fahrenheit 451 (Part 2 : Close Reading)

  5. Sep 30

    82. The Handmaid's Tale (Part 2: Close Reading)

    In this episode we welcome back our friend, Rogue name Undine, for a close reading of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.  We decided to give this book the Sacred Reading treatment introduced to us by the incredible podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text.  We used the practice of Lectio Divinia and modeled our discussion after the “sacred reading” format used by Casper ter Kuile, Vanessa Zoltan and Matthew Potts in their podcast. Here is the link to their webpage, which explains the process in more detail. Harry Potter and the Sacred Text The three of us discuss the book through the themes of Transformation and Control.   The following works were referenced during our discussion: The painting by Pietro da Cortona, Rape of the Sabines, 1629-1630 The 1953 movie Elephant Walk  Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankel I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman The Disney Plus series Andor The Hulu series Creamerie The Dream Hotel, by Laila Lalami We referenced some of Margaret Atwood’s inspirations for the book, which we discovered in the article Haunted by The Handmaid's Tale | Science fiction books | The Guardian, specifically,  Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury And 1984, by George Orwell Also, we discussed several artworks that were inspired by The Handmaid’s Tale, including  The Balbusso Twins, Margaret Atwood Collection.  Ken Cunningham Studios, Margaret Atwood Paula Scher and Abbot Miller’s 2017 large-scale installation, Nolite te bastardes carborundorum Finally, if you want to hear related episodes of our podcast, try  Episode 81. The Handmaid's Tale (Part 1: Why It's Banned)  Episode 68. 1984 (Part 1: Why It's Banned) - Rogue Librarians  Episode 69. 1984 (Part 2: Close Reading) - Rogue Librarians

  6. Sep 15

    81. The Handmaid's Tale (Part 1: Why It's Banned)

    Welcome to season 5 of The Rogue Librarians!  We are opening with a discussion of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.  Published in 1986, this dystopian tale of a religious revolution in the U.S. only seems to get more relevant with time. In Part 1 we learn a little about the history of the book and of course, why it’s been banned.  We are joined by a special guest, Rogue name Undine, who brings insight and art history to the conversation.   Materials discussed during the podcast include: In Banned Bits:  Article Why This School District Used A.I. to Help Determine Which Books to Ban, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Aug 2023. In Why It’s Banned:   Article  Why The Handmaid's Tale was banned from schools - The Mirror US, 10 Apr 2025  Article Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?, MSN.com, 22 Mar 2026 Article  There’s a simple reason The Handmaid’s Tale was banned in the US, from the website Dexerto 10 Apr 2025 The ALA’s Censorship Search Portal | Banned Books  In Context Blog Post The Handmaid's Tale: 10 intriguing facts about Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel, CBC-Radio (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), Apr 26, 2017   No Balm in Gilead for Margaret Atwood, The New York Times on the Web, Books column, February 17, 1986 Web page Timeline of Legal History of Women in the United States, National Women’s History Alliance,  Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation, 2023 Project 2025 Explained, The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Utah Philips, Folksinger, Storyteller and Activist.  Decree 770 - Reference.org  Paintings Depicting the Rape of the Sabine Women Pietro da Cortona, Rape of the Sabines, 1629-1630 Nicolas Poussin, The Rape of the Sabine Women, 1635 Peter Paul Rubins, The Rape of the Sabine Women, 1640 Jacques-Louis David, The Intervention of The Sabine Women, 1799 Pablo Picasso, The Rape of the Sabines, 1962 Friedrich Christof Steinhammer, Rape of the Sabine Women, 1622 Album - Sabine Women, 271+ Images Related Media Movie The Handmaid’s Tale directed by Volker Schlöndorff, 1990 Opera The Handmaid’s Tale, written by , Poul Ruders, alongside librettist, Paul Bentley, 2000 TV Series The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu, 2017-2025 The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel, adapted by Renée Nault, 2019 Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, The Handmaid’s Tale, 2022 Join the conversation at therogelibrarians.com or follow @RogueLibrariansPod on Instagram and Facebook. You can support the podcast on Patreon at patreon.com/roguelibrarians.  “Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.” — Isaac Asimov

  7. Season 5 Trailer

    Season 5 Preview

    Welcome to Season 5 of the Rogue Librarians.  We are excited to announce the starting line-up for the season. Upcoming books include: The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood Slaughterhouse 5, by Kurt Vonnegut Persepolis, by Marjane S I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez  For Banned Books Week we will release lots of special discussions during the month of October, including:  Banned Together, by Elana K. Arnold and Ashley Hope Perez, with special guest Elana K. Arnold. The Library Book, by Susan Orlean, with special guest Sam Helmick The Astral Library by Kate Quinn. We hope you’ll join us.

  8. Aug 16 ·  Bonus

    80. Interview with Ray Stoeve, Author of "Worst Case Scenario"

    In this episode, we interview author Ray Stoeve about their latest book 'Worst Case Scenario' and discuss their work on trans and non-binary youth literature, including a valuable master list of books by and about trans characters. Join us as we explore the importance of diverse voices in literature and the resources available for advocating against censorship. You can find Ray on socials at:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raystoeve/       Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@raystoeve  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RayStoeve  Bluesky: @ raystoeve Or on Ray’s website which includes: The Masterlist of young adult and middle grade fiction titles written by trans and/or nonbinary authors that include trans and/or nonbinary characters. Links to all of Ray’s books:     Worst Case Scenario The Summer Love Strategy Arden Gray Between Perfect and Real  And the compilation Take the Mic Other books we discussed include: (trans books) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson Half Magic and Knight’s Castle by Edward Eager Tamora Pierce, who has written so many great books. (We suggest you start with Alanna: The First Adventure) The Alice Series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Alice Series Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters If you’re interested in hearing more about trans authors and books, you might enjoy the following episodes of Rogue Librarians: Episode 1. Gender Queer (Part 1: Why It’s Banned) Episode 2. Gender Queer (Part 2: Close Reading) Episode 12. All Boys Aren’t Blue (Part 1: Why It’s Banned) Episode 13. All Boys Aren’t Blue (Part 2: Close Reading) Episode 27. This Book is Gay (Part 1: Why It’s Banned) Episode 28. This Book is Gay (Part 2: Close Reading) Episode 70. Cemetery Boys (Part 1: Why It’s Banned) Episode 71. Cemetery Boys (Part 2: Close Reading) Join the conversation at therogelibrarians.com or follow @RogueLibrariansPod on Instagram Facebook or Blue Sky. You can support the podcast on Patreon at patreon.com/roguelibrarians.  “Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.” — Isaac Asimov

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Since 2021, an unprecedented number of Young Adult books, especially ones with LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters, have been removed from libraries across the country. In this podcast, our mission is to provide clarity and context during this period of record-breaking book challenges by discussing banned books. Please join us for our conversations! Books are meant to be read.

Information

  • Creator
    Rogue Librarians
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    95
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rogue Librarians
  • Show Website
    Rogue Librarians