Of Prurient Interest

Of Prurient Interest

By Kaelyn DavisHealth & FitnessSexuality
Download on the App Store

Of Prurient Interest episodes

  • Episode 12: Book Bannings in the Land of "Free Speech"

    Books Mentioned:

    • Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
    • George by Alex Gino
    • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
    • All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiehly
    • Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
    • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
    • Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
    • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    • Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
    • The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
    • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
    • Maus by Art Spiegelman
    • A Poet and Bin Laden by Hamid Ismailov
    • References: 

      • "How the New Banned Book Panic Fits America's History of School Censorship" by Constance Grady
      • Book Ban Busters Interactive Map
      • Censorship Attacks Spreadsheet
      • ALA List of Banned & Challenged Books by Year
      • "What Banning Maus Means for the Generation of Artists It Inspired" by Amy Kurzweil
      • "What Book Censorship Looks Like Outside the United States" by Arvyn Cerezo
      • Educational Gag Orders from PEN America
      • "How to Use FOIA to Uncover Book Challenges" by Kelly Jensen
      • "How to Fight Book Bans and Challenges: An Anti-Censorship Toolkit" by Kelly Jensen
      • Of Prurient Interest

        • Instagram: @ofprurientinterest
        • Website: www.ofprurientinterest.com
        • Twitter: @highlyprurient
        • Patreon: www.patreon.com/ofprurientinterest
        • Facebook: /ofprurientinterest
        • J. Davis

          • The Whole Book Experience
          • Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: @LeavesOfCha
          • Kaelyn Davis

            • Instagram: @lalatiburona (personal) or @viragobaking (baking, obvi)
            • 1 hr 16 min
            • Episode 10: Elder Sexuality, Werewolves, and Pilfy Tilfers

              This episode is a different format than we've done before. Although both my guest and I did read Cherie Dimaline's Empire of Wild, we barely spoke about the story itself. Not for any lack of merit on the side of the story--far from it. Empire of Wild is a thrilling story of werewolves and love, evangelicalism and colonial greed, community and ancestral support and indigenous medicine. However, the guest, who happens to be my grandmother, thought it would be most interesting to focus on the part of the story she knew something about: the sexuality of elderly people. So what follows is exactly that: a conversation on sex after 80 and the challenges and pleasures therein. Trigger warning: we do talk about sexual assault and rape within this conversation, so be warned.

              "A Métis Woman's Husband Disappeared--Or Did He?" by Tobias Carroll

              "A Native Woman Battles Neocolonialism and Werewolves in 'Empire of Wild'" by Melissa Michal

              "'Empire of Wild' Tells a Small Story--But Not a Slight One" by Jason Sheehan

              Cherie Dimaline's website


              Media Mentioned: 

              Albert Schweitzer

              Taylor Caldwell

              "Soulsex with John & Annie" by Erika Lust Films

              43 min
            • Episode 9: Consent, Complicity, and Control in Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"

              Books Mentioned:

              • Folio Society edition of The Handmaid's Tale, illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso (2012)
              • The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James (2020)
              • You by Anonymous (1975)
              • Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (1996)
              • The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (2005)
              • Other Media Mentioned: 

                • "[you fit into me]" by Margaret Atwood (1971)
                • The Handmaid's Tale TV series (2017)
                • Resources Used: 

                  • "Banned Books Week: The Handmaid's Tale" by catieannelockhart
                  • "The Handmaid's Tale has been feared, banned and loved. Now it's scaring the bejeezus out of us again" by Monica Hesse
                  • "Margaret Atwood: The Prophet of Dystopia" by Rebecca Mead
                  • www.margaretatwood.ca
                  • Of Prurient Interest social media:

                    Insta: @ofprurientinterest

                    Twitter: @highlyprurient

                    FB: /ofprurientinterest

                    Litsy: @prurientinterest

                    Patreon: /ofprurientinterest

                    Website: ofprurientinterest.com

                    Kaelyn's Instagram: @lalatiburona

                    Score by Rose Droll: @myhandsarepaws

                    Logo by @irizofen

                    If you like this podcast, consider becoming a patron either here on Anchor or on Patreon. You can also make a one-time donation through the website. Lastly, subscribe, rate, and review!

                    1 hr 30 min
                  • Episode 8: Representations of Disability in Fairy Tales & Beyond with Host of "Crip & Chronic", Joel Lago

                    In this episode, my guest Joel, of the podcast Crip & Chronic, and I discuss Amanda LeDuc's Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space (2020) and how it pertains to the subject of the last couple of episodes, Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber. This conversation centers around how representations of disability in popular media, including fairy tales, have a serious influence on the way we conceptualize disability in society at large. We also veer off into arguments about whether Chris Evans is better than Chris Hemsworth... I fell in favor of the latter. What can I say? I have a weak spot for himbos. 


                    Books Referenced: 

                    Dune by Frank Herbert

                    Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

                    Feminist, Queer, Crip by Alison Kafer

                    Slow Man by J. M. Coetzee

                    The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffery

                    Growing Up Disabled in Australia


                    Films Referenced:

                    Pulse (Australian film)

                    Captain America

                    Friday the 13th, Pt. 2

                    Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge


                    Other References:

                    Amanda LeDuc's website

                    "The Stories We Tell About Disability: A Conversation with Amanda LeDuc" by Sara Black McCulloch

                    1 hr 49 min
                  • Episode 7: Werewolves, Eroticism & Being Your Own Heroine in Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber", Pt. 2

                    In this episode, Kaelyn and her guest (and longtime booknerd friend), Jena, talk about Angela Carter and her collection The Bloody Chamber, a reimagining of some of the most well-known fairy tales. Of course, we also get largely off topic and talk about the concept of virginity, the unsexiness of the word "underpants" and the history of women's undergarments...

                    The Socials:

                    Jena's Instagram: @jena_bakes or @jena_sews (for historical costume stuff!)

                    Other Podcasts Jena "Co-Hosted" On: Chasm Quest

                    Books Mentioned:

                    -Tamora Pierce YA series (The Immortals, Lioness, Circle of Magic... all are great)

                    -Get in Trouble by Kelly Link (who wrote the introduction to Jena's copy of The Bloody Chamber)

                    -The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter

                    Artists Mentioned:

                    -Jean-Honore Fragonard (1732-1806), arguably most famous for "The Swing"

                    -Felicien Rops (1833-1898), "The Librarian"

                    -"50 Fascinating Works of Angela Carter Fan Art" on LitHub

                    -Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665)

                    Films Mentioned:

                    -Scary Stories Documentary (2019)

                    Further Recommended Reading If You Like The Bloody Chamber:

                    -Kissing the Witch by Emma Donaghue

                    -Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat series

                    -Get in Trouble and Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link

                    -In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

                    References:

                    "Angela Carter's Feminist Mythology" by Joan Acocello

                    -The Sadeian Woman by Angela Carter

                    -"Femme Fatale: Angela Carter's 'Bloody Chamber'" by Helen Simpson

                    -Marxism Today Interview with Angela Carter

                    -"Anthony Burgess's Banned Books" by Graham Foster

                    1 hr 3 min
                  • Episode 6: Werewolves, Eroticism & Being Your Own Heroine in Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber"

                    In this episode, Kaelyn and her guest (and longtime booknerd friend), Jena, talk about Angela Carter and her collection The Bloody Chamber, a reimagining of some of the most well-known fairy tales. Of course, we also get largely off topic and talk about the concept of virginity, the unsexiness of the word "underpants" and the history of women's undergarments...


                    The Socials:

                    Jena's Instagram: @jena_bakes or @jena_sews (for historical costume stuff!)

                    Other Podcasts Jena "Co-Hosted" On: Chasm Quest 


                    Books Mentioned: 

                    -Tamora Pierce YA series (The Immortals, Lioness, Circle of Magic... all are great)

                    -Get in Trouble by Kelly Link (who wrote the introduction to Jena's copy of The Bloody Chamber)

                    -The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter


                    Artists Mentioned: 

                    -Jean-Honore Fragonard (1732-1806), arguably most famous for "The Swing"

                    -Felicien Rops (1833-1898), "The Librarian" 

                    -"50 Fascinating Works of Angela Carter Fan Art" on LitHub

                    -Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665)


                    Films Mentioned: 

                    -Scary Stories Documentary (2019)


                    Further Recommended Reading If You Like The Bloody Chamber:

                    -Kissing the Witch by Emma Donaghue

                    -Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat series

                    -Get in Trouble and Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link

                    -In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado


                    References: 

                    "Angela Carter's Feminist Mythology" by Joan Acocello

                    -The Sadeian Woman by Angela Carter

                    -"Femme Fatale: Angela Carter's 'Bloody Chamber'" by Helen Simpson

                    -Marxism Today Interview with Angela Carter

                    -"Anthony Burgess's Banned Books" by Graham Foster

                    1 hr 5 min
                  • Episode 5: Examining the "Bad Woman" in Anais Nin's "A Spy in the House of Love", Part Two

                    For more on racism in porn, there are a few things I recommend:

                    For a short article that I feel covers a lot, at least briefly, read Tracy Clark-Flory's, "Porn's Race Problem". For an in-depth, highly researched study, read Mireille Miller-Young's A Taste of Brown Sugar. For a podcast that features Mickey Mod, turn to my perennial favorite, Why Are People Into That?!, hosted by Tina Horn, in the episode titled: Interrobang: Mickey Mod on Porn Stigma & Love.

                    Media Mentioned:

                    Why Won't You Date Me? podcast with Nicole Byer

                    P-Valley, streaming on Starz

                    Seduction of the Minotaur by Anaïs Nin

                    10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

                    On Being Podcast with Krista Tippett


                    Rose's Instagram: @rcgutters


                    Of Prurient Interest social media:

                    Insta: @ofprurientinterest

                    Twitter: @highlyprurient

                    FB: /ofprurientinterest

                    Litsy: @prurientinterest

                    Patreon: /ofprurientinterest

                    Website: ofprurientinterest.com

                    Kaelyn's Instagram: @lalatiburona

                    Score by Rose Droll: @myhandsarepaws

                    Logo by @irizofen

                    If you like this podcast, consider becoming a patron either here on Anchor or on Patreon. You can also make a one-time donation through the website. Lastly, subscribe, rate, and review!

                    1 hr 4 min
                  • Episode 4: Examining the "Bad Woman" in Anais Nin's "A Spy in the House of Love"

                    In this two-part episode of Of Prurient Interest, my friends Victoria, Rose, and I discuss Anaïs Nin's 1954 novel, A Spy in the House of Love. We talk female sexuality, promiscuity, "race chasing", toxic masculinity, live nuns, and much more. Please join us!

                    Books Mentioned:

                    Little Ego Vittorio Giardino

                    Auletris by Anaïs Nin


                    Essays Mentioned:

                    "Open Arms: The Fantastical Pull of Tentacle Porn" by Cameron Glover


                    Films Mentioned:

                    The Lover (1992), based on The Lover by Marguerite Duras


                    Miscellanea Mentioned:

                    Primal Hardwere (your sex toy spot for all things fantasy/furry/tentacle porn-y)


                    Resources: 

                    "Amazon Slammed for Censoring Female Erotica Writer Anaïs Nin" by Dana McCauley

                    The Anaïs Nin Society

                    "The Wild, Impassioned World of Anaïs Nin's Diaries: Revolutionary Writing that Bridged the Public and Private" by Kim Krizian

                    "Shaming the Shameless: What Is Dangerous about Anaïs Nin?" by Ruth Charnock

                    "Before Lena Dunham, There Was Anaïs Nin--Now Patron Saint of Social Media" by Sady Doyle

                    "Anaïs Nin on Reproductive Rights: A Prescient Perspective from 1940" by Maria Popova

                    "In Defense of the Fluid Self: Why Anaïs Nin Turned Down a Harper's Bazaar Profile" by Maria Popova


                    Rose on Instagram: rcgutters


                    Of Prurient Interest social media:

                    Insta: @ofprurientinterest

                    Twitter: @highlyprurient

                    FB: /ofprurientinterest

                    Litsy: @prurientinterest

                    Patreon: /ofprurientinterest

                    Website: ofprurientinterest.com

                    Kaelyn's Instagram: @lalatiburona


                    Score by Rose Droll: @myhandsarepaws

                    Logo by @irizofen


                    If you like this podcast, consider becoming a patron either here on Anchor or on Patreon. You can also make a one-time donation through the website. Lastly, subscribe, rate, and review!

                    58 min
                  • Episode 3: Sex, Race, and Independence in Kate Chopin's "The Awakening"

                    In this episode of Of Prurient Interest, my dad and I explore themes of sexuality, female autonomy, race, and privilege in Kate Chopin's 1899 novel, The Awakening. You do not need to have read the book to enjoy the podcast, but there will be spoilers! I mean, it's been over a century since its publication sooooo.... Next episode will be on Anais Nin's A Spy in the House of Love. 

                    Bookstores Mentioned:

                    Beach Town Books, San Clemente, California, USA


                    Further Recommended Reading:

                    Quicksand by Nella Larsen

                    Nightwood by Djuna Barnes

                    Sula by Toni Morrison

                    Our Nig by Harriet Wilson

                    Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass

                    I mentioned my old blog in which I covered The Awakening and made a meal thematically attuned to it. Those posts are here and here.



                    What We're Reading Now:

                    Noli Me Tángere by José Rizal

                    When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

                    Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer


                    Resources Used:

                    "Women in Nineteenth-Century America" by Dr. Graham Warder

                    "The Classic Novel that Saw Pleasure as a Path to Freedom" by Claire Vaye Watkins

                    "15 Facts about Kate Chopin's The Awakening" by Kristy Puchko

                    Living a Feminist Life by Sara Ahmed

                    Secrets and Lies: Race and Sex in The Awakening by James O'Rourke

                    Edna the Oblivious Oppressor: An Intersectional Analysis of Privilege and Its Lack Thereof in The Awakening by Jessica L. Rosenthal

                    "Unspeakable Things Unspoken: The Afro-American Presence in American Literature" by Toni Morrison


                    J. Davis:

                    The Whole Book Experience

                    Leaves of Cha

                    Donation-based Meditation

                    Instagram: @leavesofcha


                    Of Prurient Interest social media:

                    Insta: @ofprurientinterest

                    Twitter: @highlyprurient

                    FB: /ofprurientinterest

                    Litsy: @prurientinterest

                    Patreon: /ofprurientinterest

                    Website: ofprurientinterest.com

                    Kaelyn's Instagram: @lalatiburona


                    Score by Rose Droll: @myhandsarepaws

                    Logo by @irizofen


                    If you like this podcast, consider becoming a patron either here on Anchor or on Patreon. You can also make a one-time donation through the website. Lastly, subscribe, rate, and review!

                    1 hr 22 min
                  • Episode 2: Obscenity & Literature in the United States, Part 2

                    Books mentioned: 

                    The Period Book by Karen Gravelle and Jennifer Gravelle

                    Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce

                    Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan

                    Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

                    Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

                    Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

                    Uncle Wiggily by Howard R. Garis

                    Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

                    Tarzan series by Edgar Rice Burroughs

                    Conan series by R. H. Howard

                    Gor series by John Norman

                    Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

                    A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas

                    The Awakening by Kate Chopin

                    The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

                    The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

                    Little Birds and Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin

                    The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A. N. Roquelaure (aka Anne Rice!)

                    Crimes of Love and Philosophies in the Boudoir by the Marquis de Sade

                    The Sadeian Woman by Angela Carter


                    Essays Mentioned:

                    "The Best Sex I Ever Read Was By the Famously 'Dick-Centric' Henry Miller" by Mary Gaitskill, as told to Lila Shapiro

                    "Porn: An Effective Vehicle for Sexual Role Modeling and Education" by Nina Hartley

                    "Exclusive: An Investigation into Algorithmic Bias in Content Policing on Instagram"


                    Podcasts Mentioned: 

                    American Sex Podcast, Ep. 151 

                    Fangasm/Potterotica


                    Legal Cases, Etc. Mentioned:

                    Attorney General v. The Book Called Tropic of Cancer (1962)

                    Jacoblellis v. Ohio (1964)

                    A Book Named John Cleland's Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure v. Attorney General of Massachusetts (1966)

                    Ginzburg v. United States (1965)

                    Attorney General v. A Book Called Naked Lunch (1966)

                    Stanley v. Georgia (1969)

                    Miller v. California (1973)

                    The case against Tom Arthur and the Mr. Double website

                    The Report of the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography (1976)

                    The Meese Commission on Obscenity (1985)

                    Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union (1997)

                    SESTA (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act)/FOSTA (Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) (2018)

                    EARN IT (Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies) Act (2020)

                    Instagram Community Guidelines


                    J. Davis:

                    The Whole Book Experience 

                    Leaves of Cha 

                    Donation-based Meditation

                    Instagram: @leavesofcha


                    Of Prurient Interest social media:

                    Insta: @ofprurientinterest

                    Twitter: @highlyprurient

                    FB: /ofprurientinterest

                    Litsy: @prurientinterest

                    Patreon: /ofprurientinterest

                    Website: ofprurientinterest.com


                    Kaelyn's Instagram: @lalatiburona

                    Score by Rose Droll: @myhandsarepaws

                    Logo by @irizofen


                    If you like this podcast, consider becoming a patron either here on Anchor or on Patreon. You can also make a one-time donation through the website. Lastly, subscribe, rate, and review!

                    1 hr 9 min

                  About Of Prurient Interest

                  From the publisher's feed

                  A space for conversations on sexuality, censorship, and "obscenity" in literature and life.