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By Christa Desir & Carrie MesrobianArts

The Oral History Podcast » podcast episodes

December 06, 2019 Episode 24: What Belongs To You by Garth Greenwell
https://theoralhistorypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/october-2019.mp3
click to subscribe in Spotify, GooglePlayMusic, iTunes, or Stitcher.
SHOW NOTES
Our Current Reads
Christa
The Bride Test, by Helen Hoang
Carrie
How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, by Jenny Odell
“what am I even doing here?”
Announcements
Subscribe to our companion TinyLetter for this (and every) episode here;
and visit us on Facebook here.
This episode’s excerpt is from What Belongs To You, by Garth Greenwell.
Books & References
“How I Feel In Love With The Beautiful Art of Cruising,” by Garth Greenwell
Cleanness, by Garth Greenwell
The Kiss Quotient, by Helen Hoang
Less, by Andrew Greer
“no one reads these captions, Adam, just go with it…”
Let us know what you think? feedback AT the oral history podcast DOT com
About Our Sponsor
This podcast is supported by Tessera Editorial, a full service editorial company that’s changing the face of publishing. Find them at TesseraEditorial.com for all your editing needs – developmental, line, or copyedits. Whether indie or publishing house, they’ll treat your manuscript with integrity. Plus, if you’re Black, Indigenous, and/or a Person of Color interested in breaking into publishing, Tessera offers a free Mentorship Program that helps teach you the ins and outs of the editing process. Learn more at TesseraEditorial.com.
About This Podcast
Carrie Mesrobian and Christa Desir are two good friends who love discussing sex & books. The idea for The Oral History Podcast came out of their daily dog-walking conversations when they realized that others might be as interested in this topic as they were. Each podcast focuses on a topic of sexuality in relationship to books. Previous podcasts have included discussions about masturbation, first kisses, cheating, illicit relationships, oral sex, and “girl talk” to name a few. Frank, engaging, and filthy, these two podcasters will leave you laughing, blushing, or ready to start writing sex scenes in your novel in an authentic and excellent way.
58 min
September 30, 2019 Episode 23: Sula by Toni Morrison
https://theoralhistorypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/oral-history-2019-ep-1.mp3
click to subscribe in Spotify, GooglePlayMusic, iTunes, or Stitcher.
SHOW NOTES
Our Current Reads
Carrie
Sex Objects: Art & The Dialectics of Desire, by Jennifer Doyle
Christa
An American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago, by Alex Kotlowitz
The Swimming Hole by Thomas Eakins, via Wikiart
Announcements
Subscribe to our companion TinyLetter for this (and every) episode here;
and visit us on Facebook here.

This episode’s excerpts are from Sula, by Toni Morrison
Books & References
“God’s Plan” by Drake
Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
“The Crane Wife” by CJ Hauser
Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng
Let us know what you think? feedback AT the oral history podcast DOT com
About Our Sponsor
This podcast is supported by Tessera Editorial, a full service editorial company that’s changing the face of publishing. Find them at TesseraEditorial.com for all your editing needs – developmental, line, or copyedits. Whether indie or publishing house, they’ll treat your manuscript with integrity. Plus, if you’re Black, Indigenous, and/or a Person of Color interested in breaking into publishing, Tessera offers a free Mentorship Program that helps teach you the ins and outs of the editing process. Learn more at TesseraEditorial.com.
About This Podcast
Carrie Mesrobian and Christa Desir are two good friends who love discussing sex & books. The idea for The Oral History Podcast came out of their daily dog-walking conversations when they realized that others might be as interested in this topic as they were. Each podcast focuses on a topic of sexuality in relationship to books. Previous podcasts have included discussions about masturbation, first kisses, cheating, illicit relationships, oral sex, and “girl talk” to name a few. Frank, engaging, and filthy, these two podcasters will leave you laughing, blushing, or ready to start writing sex scenes in your novel in an authentic and excellent way.

1 hr
August 11, 2017 Episode 22: Romance Tropes
https://theoralhistorypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/july17.mp3
click to subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher
SHOW NOTES
Our Current Reads
Carrie
Himself, by Jess Kidd
Inside of A Dog: What Dogs See, Smell & Know, by Alexandra Horowitz
Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World, by Richard Francis
Christa
Dive Smack, by Demetra Brodsky
Between Them: Remembering My Parents, by Richard Ford
Stay, by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
“Stop reading about dogs and TAKE ME FOR A WALK.”
Announcements
Subscribe to our companion TinyLetter for this (and every) episode here
Our Facebook page is here
The Shayla Black “I’m in Your Ass/Saving Your Life” reference
Recommended Reads (listed in the order discussed)
TROPE: The Cute Neighbor
Kissing Max Holden, by Katy Upperman
Lola & The Boy Next Door, by Stephanie Perkins
Wait For It, by Mariana Zapata
Close Enough To Touch, by Victoria Dahl
TROPE: Masturbate For Me
Say Yes To The Marquess, by Tessa Dare
One Good Earl Deserves A Lover, by Sarah MacLean
Too Hot To Handle, by Victoria Dahl
Sweetest Scoundrel, by Elizabeth Hoyt
Proving His Worth, by Cari Quinn
“You know what I think about all this cute-neighbor twaddle…”

About This Podcast
Carrie Mesrobian and Christa Desir are two good friends who happen to be YA authors interested in discussing sex. The idea for The Oral History Podcast came out of their daily dog-walking conversations when they realized that others might be as interested in this topic as they were. Each podcast focuses on a topic of sexuality in the lives of teens. Previous podcasts have included discussions about masturbation, first kisses, cheating, illicit relationships, oral sex, and “girl talk” to name a few. Frank, engaging, and filthy, these two podcasters will leave you laughing, blushing, or ready to start writing sex scenes in your novel in an authentic and excellent way.
1 hr 1 min
May 24, 2017 Episode #21: Young Adult, or Literary Fiction? Who Decides?
In this episode of the Oral History Podcast, we ask why some books about teenagers are labeled “YA” but others are marketed as “literary fiction.” Tell us what you think on our Facebook page or via email (feedback AT theoralhistorypodcast DOT com).
https://theoralhistorypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/may17.mp3
Click to subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher
SHOW NOTES
Our current reads
Christa:
Almost Missed You by Jessica Strawser
The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan
Letters to a Young Writer by Colum McCann
Carrie
The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Ford
Robert Lowell: Setting the River on Fire by Kay Redfield Jamison
here, have a picture of Sherlock & Molly kissing; life’s short
Announcements
– subscribe to this episode’s companion piece on TinyLetter here
– purchase podcast t-shirts here (100% of proceeds go to Scarleteen)
– visit us on Facebook here
Books & References
Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin
Brutal Youth by Anthony Breznican
The V-Word: True Stories of First-Time Sex by Amber J. Keyser, editor
YALSA’s Alex Award
The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak
The Girls by Emma Cline
I Crawl Through It by A.S. King
The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Freefall by Mindi Scott
Love Me Back by Merritt Tierce
Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger
Girls On Fire by Robin Wasserman
One of the Boys by Daniel Magariel
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks
History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry
Dare Me & The Fever by Megan Abbott
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Other Broken Things by Christa Desir
Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
“Wow, that’s a lotta books, ladies! Good job!” – Idris Elba, probably
Want more? Subscribe to our accompanying TinyLetter for further discussion on this episode!
About This Podcast
Carrie Mesrobian and Christa Desir are two good friends who happen to be YA authors interested in discussing sex. The idea for The Oral History Podcast came out of their daily dog-walking conversations when they realized that others might be as interested in this topic as they were. Each podcast focuses on a topic of sexuality in the lives of teens. Previous podcasts have included discussions about masturbation, first kisses, cheating, illicit relationships, oral sex, and “girl talk” to name a few. Frank, engaging, and filthy, these two podcasters will leave you laughing, blushing, or ready to start writing sex scenes in your novel in an authentic and excellent way.
1 hr 8 min
March 13, 2017 Episode 20: School Dances
In this episode of The Oral History Podcast, we discuss school dances, now and then. Do you have some terrible and/or delicious memories of school dances you’d like to share, or some books that deal with high school dances in a way you like? Tell us what you think on our Facebook page or via email (feedback AT theoralhistorypodcast DOT com).

https://theoralhistorypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/feb17.mp3
Click to subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher
SHOW NOTES
Our Current Reads
Carrie
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
Christa
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking
References
Subscribe to our companion piece on TinyLetter
San Augustine, Texas. High school students dancing at the Spanish Club banquet; credit here
Recommended Reads (listed in the order in which they were discussed)
Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson
Pointe by Brandy Colbert
Freefall by Mindi Scott
Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian
Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross
What We Left Behind by Robin Talley
NEW FEATURE: Teen Librarian Toolbox Recommendation Corner, featuring Karen Jensen
Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman
Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein
The Last Boy & Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian

Want more? Subscribe to our accompanying TinyLetter for further discussion on this episode!
“Okay, let me explain what the deal is with this excellent podcast…”
About
Carrie Mesrobian and Christa Desir are two good friends who happen to be YA authors interested in discussing sex. The idea for The Oral History Podcast came out of their daily dog-walking conversations when they realized that others might be as interested in this topic as they were. Each podcast focuses on a topic of sexuality in the lives of teens. Previous podcasts have included discussions about masturbation, first kisses, cheating, illicit relationships, oral sex, and “girl talk” to name a few. Frank, engaging, and filthy, these two podcasters will leave you laughing, blushing, or ready to start writing sex scenes in your novel in an authentic and excellent way.
54 min
January 12, 2017 Episode #19: Dating
In this episode of the Oral History Podcast, we discuss the concept of dating: what it was like when we were teenagers, what it is like for teenagers now, and how some books we recommend handle this variable romantical endeavor. Do you have some insight on dating then/now or any book recommendations that deal with dating in a significant way? Tell us what you think: (feedback AT theoralhistorypodcast DOT com).
https://theoralhistorypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/dec16.mp3
click to subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher
SHOW NOTES
Our Current Reads
Christa:
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead, by Brene Brown
Pasadena, by Sherri L. Smith
Carrie:
Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent, by Mandy Aftel
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race, by Jesmyn Ward (editor)
The Leftovers, by Tom Perrotta
Couple at rollerskating rink. Southside, Chicago, Illinois. Link here.
References
Subscribe to our companion piece TinyLetter
Our One-Star Review T-shirt shop (all proceeds go to Scarleteen)
Money Talks, a movie that Christa was not into
This is who Eddie Money is, just FYI
“We’re Now Dating Six People At Once, According To Study”
Ghosting
Bread-crumbing
“Hey you know I only got a flip phone so I gotta ask you out on a date the old fashioned way, baby.”
Recommended Reads (listed in the order in which they were discussed)

Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe, by Benjamin Saenz Alire
Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen
Freefall, by Mindi Scott
The Female of the Species, by Mindi McGinnis
Dreamland, by Sarah Dessen
Stay, by Deb Caletti
Want more? Subscribe to our accompanying TinyLetter for further discussion on this episode!
“What’s not to love, eh?”
About This Podcast
Carrie Mesrobian and Christa Desir are two good friends who happen to be YA authors interested in discussing sex. The idea for The Oral History Podcast came out of their daily dog-walking conversations when they realized that others might be as interested in this topic as they were. Each podcast focuses on a topic of sexuality in the lives of teens. Previous podcasts have included discussions about masturbation, first kisses, cheating, illicit relationships, oral sex, and “girl talk” to name a few. Frank, engaging, and filthy, these two podcasters will leave you laughing, blushing, or ready to start writing sex scenes in your novel in an authentic and excellent way.
1 hr 10 min
November 10, 2016 Episode 18: Sexual Content in YA Books
In this episode of The Oral History Podcast, we discuss censorship issues surrounding content in young adult literature and how this affects librarians, editors, authors and teachers, as well as how people who support open fair access to all kinds of books can respond to book challenges and other kinds of content suppression. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this! Tell us what you think on Twitter @ChristaDesir, or via email (feedback AT theoralhistorypodcast DOT com).
https://theoralhistorypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/oct16.mp3
Click to subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher.
SHOW NOTES
Our Current Reads
Carrie:
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
The Man Without A Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen
Christa:
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Announcements
— Our TinyLetter serves as a companion piece for each episode and guess what: you can subscribe right here!
— Become a part of #OralHistory with one of our four custom One Star Review t-shirts. Order here.
References
Some links regarding VOYA content warning: here, here, here, and here
School Library Journal’s series on libraries and censorship
A Court of Mist & Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
“Mom, what are Polekatz?”
At The Edge of The Universe by Shaun Hutchinson
“Whoa. That was a lot of opinions. I have a lot of feelings about them. Think I’ll leave a comment here or email yall my thoughts: feedback AT theoralhistorypodcast DOT com”
1 hr 9 min
September 20, 2016 Episode 17: YA Sex Scenes
Episode 17: We discuss craft issues and questions involved in YA sex scenes, whether you’re reading them or writing them, and reference several titles in the process.
https://theoralhistorypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/sept16.mp3
Click to subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher.
SHOW NOTES
Our Current Reads
Carrie:
Women In Clothes, by Sheila Heti, Heidi Shulavits and Leanne Shapton
Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction, by Maia Szalavitz
The Careful Undressing of Love, by Corey Ann Haydu
Christa:
The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman
Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead
Never Look An American in the Eye: A Memoir of Flying Turtles, Colonial Ghosts, and the Making of a Nigerian American, by Okey Ndibe
Rani Patel in Full Effect, by Sonia Patel
Announcements
— Our TinyLetter serves as a companion piece for each episode and guess what: you can subscribe here
— We’re working on an episode about censorship and YA fiction, and how this has occurred at any point in the publication or distribution process, whether you are an author, editor, teacher or librarian. We can keep each submission anonymous if preferred. We’d love to hear from you! Email here.
“Let’s break it all down for you.”
Books and Other References
Thief of Shadows, by Elizabeth Hoyt
Wintersong, by S. Jae-Jones
Plus One by Elizabeth Fama
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
The Black Dagger Brotherhood series ,by J.R. Ward
My Year Zero, by Rachel Gold
Three Truths and A Lie, by Brent Hartinger
Underneath Everything, by Marcy Beller Paul
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates
Smooth Talk movie
“Welcome to the New America: Straight-ish, heteroflexible, and pansexual”
See No Color, by Shannon Gibney
The Cheating Episode that Carrie’s “condom stalemate” anecdote referenced
The concept of lunarception
Uses For Boys, by Erica Lorraine Scheidt (and why it contains one of Christa’s favorite sex scenes)
Craft Talk Questions
— What is this character’s relationship with masturbation and their body?
— What has this character been taught about sex and desire?
— How does my character express affection?
— What does this character find attractive in general (attraction not being limited to physical beauty but often this is a marker of what complements the character, what he/she is lacking and seeks in a partner for balance)?
— Is this character able to be open about their sexual identity with their families and community?
— How has this character been shown love and support by others?
— Are there certain societal ideal beauty standards in this character’s world? How do they compare to these ideals?
— What kinds of words does this character use to describe any sort of sensory responses?
Some Good Poems About Sex
“What Saves Us” by Bruce Weigl from What Saves Us, Triquarterly, 1992.
“Groceries” by Cathy Smith Bowers, from Traveling in Time of Danger, Iris Press, 1999.
“Everything We Do” by Peter Meinke, from Liquid Paper: New and Selected Poems, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1991.
“Foreplay” by Tony Gloeggler, from One Wish Left, Pavement Saw Press, 2002.
“The Widening” by Carol Moldaw from The Widening, Etruscan Press, 2008.
“First Blowjob” by Meg Kearney, from Never Before: Poems about first experiences, edited by Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Four Way Books, 2005.
“God and the G-Spot” by Ellen Bass, from Mules of Love, BOA Editions, 2002.
“Adolescence” by Sharon Olds, from Strike Sparks, Knopf, 2004.
“Poem to my First Lover” by Sharon Olds, from The Dead and The Living, Knopf, 1995.
“First Sex” by Sharon Olds, from The Gold Cell, Knopf, 1995
“Last Gods” by Galway Kinnell, When One Has Lived A Long Time Alone, Knopf, 1990.
“Life Story” by Tennessee Williams, The Collected Poems of Tennessee Williams, copyright © 1937, 1956, 1964, 2002 by The University of the South.
Don’t look at us like that. Just tell us what you think! feedback AT theoralhistorypodcast DOT com
1 hr 11 min
June 08, 2016 Episode 16: Clean Reads & Porn
Episode 16: We discuss the idea of “clean reads” as well as porn in fiction and in the lives of adolescents. Don’t panic: we’re not recommending porn films but just examining the role porn plays in adolescent and adult sexuality with respect to formal and informal methods of transmitting information about sexual health and identity.
https://theoralhistorypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/june.mp3
Click to subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher.
SHOW NOTES
Our Current Reads
Carrie:
Erin’s Daughters in America: Irish Immigrant Women in the Nineteenth Century by Hasia R. Diner
The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
Christa:
Girls and Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape by Peggy Orenstein
All In Pieces by Suzanne Young
“All this talk of Clean Reads makes a person feel dirty.”
References
an example of a publisher seeking “Clean Reads”
Common Sense Media
Kirkus
School Library Journal
VOYA
It by Stephen King (and the sex scene at the end of the story)
Recommended Books (listed in the order in which they were discussed)
Adam by Ariel Schrag
Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin
Cruddy by Lynda Barry
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Deathday Letter by Shaun Hutchinson
==> Subscribe to our companion thematical TinyLetter for each podcast! <==
“Gotta jump in the splash quick, but if you’ve feedback on the show, send yr thoughts to feedback AT theoralhistorypodcast DOT com. Carrie and Christa love that shit.”
1 hr 4 min
May 06, 2016 Episode 15: Romance Tropes

Episode 15: In this show, we depart from our usual analysis of YA literature and instead discuss adult romance-novel tropes that persistently beguile and bedevil us.
https://theoralhistorypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/april-2016.mp3
click to subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher
SHOW NOTES
Our Current Reads
Carrie:
Baader-Meinhof: The Inside Story of the Red Army Faction by Stephan Aust
Orleans by Sherrie L. Smith
Christa:
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
The Smaller Evil by Stephanie Kuehn
“Translation: All this twaddle merely is saying, ‘Hi, I’m Andreas Baader, a sociopathic dick.'”

References
What the hell is a “manther” anyway?
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Roxane Gay’s Outlander recaps: here, here, & here
“I feel so objectified.”
Romance Trope: The Virgin Hero
Unclaimed by Courtney Milan
Off-Campus by Amy Jo Cousins
Taking Him by Jackie Ashenden
Romance Trope: The Indestructible Male
The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne
The Master by Kresley Cole
Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare
“Your torture tactics are nothing compared to the Midwestern accents of these dames, Le Chiffre!”
Want more? Subscribe to our accompanying TinyLetter for further discussion on this episode!

1 hr 5 min

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A frank and personal discussion of sexuality and young adult books between two authors who are friends.

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