Freedom, and what it means to have a body

Vox's Anna North talks with author Olivia Laing about her book Everybody: A Book About Freedom. Through the surprisingly connected lives of artists, activists, psychoanalysts, and sexologists, they discuss the different ways our bodies are persecuted, imprisoned, and policed — and the ways our physical selves can be liberated.

Host: Anna North (@annanorthtweets), Senior Reporter, Vox

Guest: Olivia Laing, Author

References: 

Everybody: A Book About Freedom (Picador, 2021)

The Lonely City (Picador, 2017)

“Wilhelm Reich: the man who invented free love” by Christopher Turner (The Guardian, July 8, 2011)

Susan Sontag, Illness as Metaphor (1978)

“Overlooked No More: Ana Mendieta, a Cuban Artist Who Pushed Boundaries” by Monica Castillo (New York Times, Sept. 19, 2018)

Agnes Martin, 1912–2004 (MoMA)

Philip Guston, 1913–1980 (MoMA)

“Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush (1985), music video dir. by Julian Doyle

Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

This episode was made by: 

Producer: Erikk Geannikis

Editor: Amy Drozdowska

Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey

VP, Vox Audio: Liz Kelly Nelson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices