Rogue Librarians

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)

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

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

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.

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

In this episode, Dorothy and Marian delve into Toni Morrison's 'The Bluest Eye,' exploring themes of beauty, self-worth, racism, and societal pressures through a detailed analysis of the characters and narrative structure.

Works Cited:

• “ Why ‘The Bluest Eye’ by Toni Morrison is a Must-Read: Unpacking Its Depth and Impact - Beyond Pop Culture” 

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

In this episode of Rogue Librarians, Marion and Dorothy return to the mic and dive into Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye—a frequently challenged and frequently misunderstood novel. This is Part One of their discussion, focused on the reasons the book has been banned and the context readers need before diving into the text itself. They provide historical and literary context for Morrison’s debut novel, including the impact of Dick and Jane basal readers, beauty standards in the 1940s, and the broader social realities shaping Pecola Breedlove’s world.  The hosts explore why the book has been challenged so often, what makes it such an important work, and why difficult books still matter in classrooms, libraries, and public discourse. This is Part One of their discussion, focused on the reasons the book has been banned and the context readers need before diving into the text itself.

The Banned Bits segment came from the Knoxville News Sentinel's article “Knox County Schools bans historical novel 'Roots' by Alex Haley”

Research for this episode includes:

• BANNED: The Bluest Eye | American Experience | Official Site | PBS 

• Martha Harris for KUER 90.1, Utah’s school book ban list passes 30 titles with Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ 

• Marshall University Library’s Banned Books 2025 - The Bluest Eye

• Book Riot’s Utah Bans Four More Books, Bringing Total to 32

• The New York Times’ 'Oh, Jane, See How Popular We Are'

• America Comes Alive’s Dick and Jane: Story of These Early Readers

• Education Week’s What Is a Basal Reader, And Why Are They Controversial? 

• Howard University School of Law’s A Brief History of Civil Rights in the United States: Reconstruction and Jim Crow Eras 

• Beyond Pop Culture’s Why ‘The Bluest Eye’ by Toni Morrison is a Must-Read: Unpacking Its Depth and Impact

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

Join us for our silliest conversation yet, goodness knows we needed a good laugh.  Today we read and discuss two delightful picture books.  

• Ogilvy was written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by T.L. McBeth, and was published in 2019.  It received a starred review in Kirkus, and positive reviews in Publishers Weekly, Horn Book, and Booklist.  

• Worm Loves Worm, written by J.J. Austrian and illustrated by Mike Curato (who wrote Flamer which this pod covered in Season 2, episodes 25-26). It was published in 2016.  It received a starred Review from Publishers Weekly, and positive reviews from School Library Journal, and Horn Book.

As happens during a spontaneous conversation, Dorothy referenced a few things she couldn't remember the names of. Both of those are listed below. .  

• Podcast: SciShow Tangents:Gay Animals - with Field Guide to Gay Animals!

• Movie: Trainwreck (2015), starring Amy Schumer

Join us for a fascinating and enlightening conversation with debut author Debby Show as she discusses her book, Paper Roses. The book explores Show’s real history and intimate truths as she grapples with the effects of generational trauma and with her experiences as the sister, and victim, of a rather infamous public figure. That said, this is not a book about her sister’s exploits; instead, it explores their mutual family history – through several viewpoints – and traces how trauma can leave a lasting legacy.  The story has been fictionalized, but the emotions it evokes bear the weight of deeper truths.

You can reach Debby Show at [email protected], or through her website at 

debbyshow.com

Some of the books we mention on the podcast include:  

• The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

• Stone Soup, by Marcia Brown

• The Nancy Drew Series, by Carolyn Keene

• The Bobbsey Twins Series, by Laura Lee Hope

• Maus I and Maus II, by Art Spiegelman  (and here is a link to our episodes:Maus Part 1 (Why It’s Banned) and  Maus Part 2 (Close Reading).

Today we talked to author and podcast host, Heather Hester.  Heather is the host of the podcast More Human. More Kind. and the author of Parenting with Pride: Unlearn Bias and Embrace, Empower and Love Your LGBTQ+ Teen.  As a speaker, author, coach, and LGBTQ+ advocate, she helps parents, allies, and organizations move from fear to fierce, informed love with clarity, compassion, and courage. She believes in the magic of connection and that kindness and belonging aren’t just a feeling, they’re a practice. You can find out more about her podcast at morehumanmorekind.com and more about the many ways she advocates for the LGTBQ+ community @ heatherhester.net 

Books we discussed on the podcast include:  

The Boxcar Children, by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles, by Julie Andrews Edwards

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, by Robert C. O’Brien

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness

Anything by the author Emily Henry

I Am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai