Celebrating Women’s History Month
8 months agoWe’ve put together some of our favourite episodes highlighting the struggles and achievements of women throughout contemporary history. Listen in as authors Carol J. Adams, Ayanna Dozier, Jenn Pelly, Rafia Zakaria and Kate Kirkpatrick discuss everything from feminism, sexuality, misogyny, anti-Blackness, Islamophobia, veganism, and more. These are five conversations you don’t want to miss.
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Spacecraft / The Stuff of Life by Timothy Morton
1 year agoWe begin this philosophical conversation with an overview of Object-Oriented Ontology, the school of thought in which both Spacecraft and The Stuff of Life are rooted. Tim discusses how they came to describe life through ‘stuff’, touching on bananas, concealer, electric peanuts, and the Battersea Power Station. Stay tuned for lively tête à tête on Star Wars versus Star Trek. Spoiler: both franchises are good and beloved by both parties, but their philosophical outlooks differ in important ways. We learn of Tim’s connection to Sir Patrick Stewart as well as their favorite spacecraft, then veer into the relationship between spacecraft and human treatment of ecology, the environment, and the individual. Take a listen.
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The American Comic Book Industry and Hollywood by Alisa Perren and Gregory Steirer, part two
1 year agoIn part two of our episode on The American Comic Book Industry and Hollywood, we’ll be discussing why/how has the comic book industry retained its own practices and structure despite the conglomeratisation of media industries, how the comic industry has dealt with digital formats, the different business models in comics publishers and their dependence on Hollywood licensing IP, and the future of the relationship between the American comics industry and Hollywood. Take a listen.
Listen nowThe American Comic Book Industry and Hollywood by Alisa Perren and Gregory Steirer, part one
1 year agoTogether, they are the authors of The American Comic Book Industry and Hollywood, which traces the evolving relationship between the two industries from the launch of X-Men, Spider-Man, and Smallville in the early 2000s through the ascent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Arrowverse, and the Walking Dead Universe in the 2010s. In this episode, we’ll be delving into why have “superhero films” become the culturally dominant type of film in the 21st century, the lack of understanding film and TV people have about what artists do in comics, why comics has largely been a precarious industry to work in as a creator, and much much more. Take a listen.
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Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson by Tara T. Green, part two
2 years agoIn the second half of this conversation on activist, educator, writer, and bisexual icon Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Tara T. Green discusses Alice’s queerness and her life as a queer person in the 19th century United States. Dunbar-Nelson defied many assumptions a contemporary reader may have of the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction era United States, including that she was exceptionally well-traveled. We learn about Alice’s love of California, her time in New York and contribution to the Harlem Renaissance, and her queer affairs. Take a listen.
Listen nowLove, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson by Tara T. Green, part one
2 years agoLove, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson has received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist. Pulitzer-prize winning poet Jericho Brown praised the book as “a brilliant analysis.” So who was Alice Dunbar Nelson? Born in New Orleans in 1875, she would become an activist and writer and contributor to the Harlem Renaissance. She navigated a hostile and ever-changing country as a Black bisexual woman, subject to systemic racism and sexism and impositions of “respectability.” More intimately, she navigated an abusive marriage to the well-known writer Paul Laurence Dunbar. Bloomsbury Academic podcast and Tara T. Green discuss how Alice Dunbar-Nelson found ways to not only survive but thrive in a world and a marriage that were fundamentally against her. Take a listen.
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Conversations on the Environment
2 years agoCritical debates around the climate crisis continue to dominate social and political discourse, requiring us to consider the consequences that our actions, both individually and as a society, have on our planet. This Earth Day, take a listen to these four important conversations exploring sustainability in the fashion industry, the environmental impact of the pandemic, the state of the Anthropocene, and the politics behind meat consumption. With each episode, our authors outline today’s key issues and highlight how all of us can help to improve the world we live in.
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A Guide to the Psychology of Eating by Leighann R. Chaffee and Stephanie P. da Silva, part 2
2 years agoIn part two of our episode, we delve into the relationship between public policy and societal thinking about food as well as how our perception of food habits or diets is tied up in race, class, gender, age. Then we chat with the authors about fatphobia, how can we decrease the prevalence of disordered eating, and what the future of social perceptions of food might look like. Take a listen.
Listen nowA Guide to the Psychology of Eating by Leighann R. Chaffee and Stephanie P. da Silva, part 1
2 years agoIn this episode, we will be talking about all things eating, including how our brains make sense of the chemicals in food to allow us to taste. Then, we’ll be answering why hunger makes us “hangry, why comfort food is so comforting, how food reflects our cultural knowledge and values, and much much more. Take a listen.
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Indigenous Women's Voices: 20 Years on from Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s Decolonizing Methodologies edited by Emma Lee and Jennifer Evans, part two
2 years agoIn part two of our episode, we ask the editors hard-hitting questions, including whether men can weave baskets as well as what feminism and queerness look like in an indigenous framework. We then delve into the types of resistance work that the editors are currently working on, the international Indigenous rights movements are going on right now, and what forms atonement can take. Take a listen.
Listen nowIndigenous Women's Voices: 20 Years on from Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s Decolonizing Methodologies edited by Emma Lee and Jennifer Evans, part one
2 years agoIn part one of our episode, we’ll be discussing the reasons the editors wanted to reflect on Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s Decolonizing Methodologies 20 years after its publication, examples of colonization in academia, and the importance of incorporating indigenous voices into our institutions. We will delve into the process of making this an Open Access title and much much more. Take a listen.
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Britney Spears' Blackout by Natasha Lasky, part two
2 years agoIn part two of this episode, we discuss Spears’ conservatorship, and the public discussion around it as well as disability rights in general. Then, we look at stan culture and the influence of (social) media on celebrity and vice versa and how social media has changed since this album was released, looking at its impact on stars like Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift, plus what Britney Spears’ Instagram looks like today. Take a listen.
Listen nowBritney Spears' Blackout by Natasha Lasky, part one
2 years agoIn part one of this episode, we discuss Britney Spears’ 2007 album Blackout, which was released at a harrowing time in Spears’ life. We discuss the album in relation to Spears’ personal life as well as in relation to popular culture. Then, we look at the album’s production and the public response to it, including backlash to Spears’ vocal fry and the impact Spears’ literal and figurative voice has had on popular music. Take a listen.
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Nuclear Russia by Paul Josephson, part 2
2 years agoThis is part two of our episode on Nuclear Russia, and we are continuing our conversation with Paul Josephson, Professor of History at Colby College, USA. We’ll be discussing the groups that have suffered as a result of Russia’s pursuit of nuclear power, a nuclear themed beauty contest, and the evolution of Russia’s nuclear culture. Then looking forward, we consider what Russia’s recent self-proclaimed nuclear power ‘renaissance’ could mean for international security and the environment and what could be done to combat this nuclear resistance. Take a listen.
Listen nowNuclear Russia by Paul Josephson, part 1
2 years agoThis is part one of our episode on Nuclear Russia, we start off with an overview of the history of nuclear physics and how its emergence in Russia compares with other parts of the world. We’ll then delve into the ways in which nuclear power influenced the Cold War and vice versa before moving into a discussion of the ramifications Chernobyl had on the Soviet Union and the rest of the world. Take a listen.
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Queer Data by Kevin Guyan
2 years agoHow do we decide who counts? Kevin Guyan, queer author, activist and scholar, joins us to discuss his latest book Queer Data: Using Gender, Sex and Sexuality Data for Action to break down how data shapes the world around us, and how we in turn, shape it. Take a listen.
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Black British Queer Plays and Practitioners, part two
2 years agoIn part two of our episode, we’ll be talking about issues of accessibility in theatre and how that impacts playwrights, audiences, and even this collection. To combat this accessibility issue, we’ll delve into how practitioners and theatre-goers can benefit from reading this collection, particularly the intergenerational ‘in-conversation’ pieces. Then, the editors will be giving us a behind the scenes look at how the collection evolved over time as well as their own work in the theatre space. Take a listen.
Listen nowBlack British Queer Plays and Practitioners, part one
2 years agoIn this episode, we’ll be discussing the process behind selecting plays for this collection, the collection’s historical context, and the role of theatre publishing in allowing people to access plays, particularly plays from marginalized groups. Then, because the anthology covers plays from several decades, we’ll be taking a look at the ways in which the theatre landscape has changed and the progress that is still yet to be made. Take a listen.
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The Godfather, part two
2 years agoIn part two of this episode, we will be exploring what the relationship between Hollywood and crime was like before and after this movie as well as how the film got its reputation as “high art” in the Western canon. Then, we talk about New Hollywood, the power of the director, the idea of the auteur, and what the future for medium-sized indie films could look like. Take a listen.
Listen nowThe Godfather, part one
2 years agoIn this episode, we will be discussing film’s revolutionary visual style, the political context for the film, and its unusual production history—was the film partly funded by the mob? We’ll find out. We’ll also be talking about the theme of assimilation into (white) America and the depiction of women in the films. Take a listen.
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The Empire Strikes Back, part two
2 years agoIn part two of this episode, we will be talking about the relationship between fandom and franchise, including the ways profit-making gets in the way of storytelling and the impact that fans can have on casting or the plot of a movie. Then we’ll be turning back to the franchise that started it all to discuss how it directly gave life to the Marvel-ization of the film industry, how the Star Wars fandom continues to affect the “canon,” and the ways that the meaning and reception of this movie has shifted over the past 40 years.
Listen nowThe Empire Strikes Back, part one
2 years agoIn part two of this episode, we will be talking about the relationship between fandom and franchise, including the ways profit-making gets in the way of storytelling and the impact that fans can have on casting or the plot of a movie. Then we’ll be turning back to the franchise that started it all to discuss how it directly gave life to the Marvel-ization of the film industry, how the Star Wars fandom continues to affect the “canon,” and the ways that the meaning and reception of this movie has shifted over the past 40 years.
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Your Boss is an Algorithm, part two
2 years agoIn part two of this episode, we discuss how to address the pervasive power of AI-enabled monitoring, the likelihood that the gig-economy model will emerge as a new organizational paradigm, what social partners and political players can do to adopt effective regulations that protect workers, and even what a future without work could look like. Take a listen.
Listen nowYour Boss Is an Algorithm, Part One
2 years agoIn part one of this episode, we discuss what algorithms have to do with labor, how COVID has impacted certain platforms and algorithms, how digital spaces and technology can replicate power structures, and much much more. Take a listen.
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Thinking Through Loneliness, Part Two
2 years agoThis is part two of our episode on Thinking Through Loneliness. We are continuing our conversation with Diane Enns, Professor of Philosophy at Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada. In part of two this episode, we discuss the ambiguity of loneliness, social media, the ways we can re-focus on the societal, rather than the personal, failures that produce loneliness, and whether there is a political alternative to our isolation. Take a listen.
Listen nowThinking Through Loneliness, Part One
2 years agoDiane Enns is Professor of Philosophy at Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada as well as the author of Thinking Through Loneliness, a lyrical and compassionate philosophy of loneliness. Throughout the book, Enns explores the ambiguities of being alone and argues that loneliness needs to be recognised as a political issue as much as a personal one. In part of one this episode, we break down the meaning of the book’s title, the aspects of loneliness that became more apparent during the pandemic, the changing role of the nuclear family, and much much more. Take a listen.
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Queer Euripides, Part Two
2 years agoSarah Olsen is Assistant Professor of Classics at Williams College, USA, and Mario Telò is Professor of Classics and Critical Theory at the University of California, Berkeley, USA. Together, they are the editors of Queer Euripides, the first volume to reconsider the entire corpus of an ancient canonical author through the lens of queerness broadly conceived. In part two of this episode, we delve into what Euripides play our guests would see in the ancient past, as well as the classic figure they’d bring to a desert island.
Listen nowQueer Euripides, Part One
2 years agoSarah Olsen is Assistant Professor of Classics at Williams College, USA, and Mario Telò is Professor of Classics and Critical Theory at the University of California, Berkeley, USA. Together, they are the editors of Queer Euripides, the first volume to reconsider the entire corpus of an ancient canonical author through the lens of queerness broadly conceived. In part one of this episode, we delve into what we know about Euripides and what we can benefit from viewing his tragedies and other ancient materials through a queer lens, as well as the process of selecting contributors for this volume and much much more. Take a listen.
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What to listen to this Pride Month
2 years agoPride Month is here! And we’re celebrating by showcasing our favorite discussions on gender, sexuality, and identity + 35% off the books from these episodes when you use code Pride21 at checkout. Featuring conversations with Jenn Pelly, Carol J. Adams, and special guest Alok Vaid-Menon.
Don’t forget to explore the rest of our Pride Month Reading List with free digital resources and discounted books through June.
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The Future is Feminine with Ciara Cremin, Part Two
3 years agoWe are continuing our conversation with Ciara Cremin about capitalism and what she refers to as the masculine disorder. We explore the relationship between far-right authoritarianism and masculinity, as well as the ways in which masculinity dominates leftist spaces. Upon that reflection we discuss what it would look like to collectively reject masculinity, and what our future might look like if we all reconciled as a society with the feminine.
Listen nowThe Future is Feminine with Ciara Cremin, Part One
3 years agoCiara Cremin’s work draws on Marxist, psychoanalytic and critical theory perspectives to diagnose the human condition in capitalism today. In part one of this episode, we delve into the values, behaviors and aesthetic choices typically associated with masculinity and how these standards reproduce cycles of violence, the ways in which masculinity can be interpreted as a psychological disorder, how capitalism caters to masculinity, and much more.
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The Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays, Part Two
3 years agoThis is the first play anthology to offer eight new plays by trans playwrights featuring trans characters. It establishes a canon of contemporary American trans theatre which represents a variety of performance modes and genres. In part two of this episode, we talked to anthology editors Lindsey Mantoan, Angela Farr Schiller and Leanna Keyes about the importance of studying the work of trans artists, trans theatre is a form of activism, and what the editors hoped to achieve with this collection.
Listen nowThe Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays, Part One
3 years agoThis is the first play anthology to offer eight new plays by trans playwrights featuring trans characters. It establishes a canon of contemporary American trans theatre which represents a variety of performance modes and genres. We talked to anthology editors Lindsey Mantoan, Angela Farr Schiller and Leanna Keyes, about the plays selected, and how they explicitly call for trans characters as central protagonists in order to promote opportunities for trans performers.
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Blackface with Ayanna Thompson
3 years agoAfter a breathtaking episode on Othello last season, Ayanna Thompson is back to talk about her book, Blackface, which is part of our Object Lessons series. In this episode, we discuss the events that drove Ayanna to write this book, the history of Blackface up to the 21st century, how media weaponizes the notion of white innocence in contemporary examples of Blackface, and much more.
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Yasodhara and the Buddha with Vanessa R. Sasson, Part Two
3 years agoWe are continuing our conversation with Vanessa R. Sasson, Professor of Religious Studies in the Liberal and Creative Arts Department of Marianopolis College, Canada and author of Yasodhara and the Buddha. In part two this episode, we delve into a narrative about Yasodhara’s expansive life, and why her story feels deeply human and relatable today.
Listen nowYasodhara and the Buddha with Vanessa R. Sasson, Part One
3 years agoVanessa R. Sasson is Professor of Religious Studies in the Liberal and Creative Arts Department of Marianopolis College, Canada and the author of Yasodhara and the Buddha, which we discuss in this episode. For those who do not know Yasodhara, this largely forgotten woman was once married to the Buddha. In part one of this episode, we discuss Yasodhara’s rich, intricate story, as well as the research process behind the book. We also delve into why Vanessa felt compelled to write this book as a “western woman” and how that position affects the context of her modern storytelling.
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The War On Disabled People with Ellen Clifford, Part Two
3 years agoThis is part two of our episode on The War on Disabled People. We are continuing our conversation with Ellen Clifford, a disabled activist who has worked within the disability sector for over twenty years and is a current member of the National Steering Group for Disabled People Against Cuts. In this episode, Ellen unpacks the ways in which people with disabilities are made to feel invisible, how austerity reversed progress for disability rights, the future of disability rights and how to break the cycle of inaccessibility, and much more. Take a listen.
Listen nowThe War on Disabled People with Ellen Clifford, Part One
3 years agoIn 2016, a United Nations report found the UK government responsible for ‘grave and systematic violations’ of disabled people’s rights. Ellen Clifford, a disabled activist, has been at the heart of the resistance against the war on disabled people for over twenty years.
In part one of this episode, we’ll unpack the history surrounding the war on disabled people; the relationship between disability and capitalism, and how covid-19 has exacerbated the violent conditions of the austerity state.
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Hip Hop Architecture with Sekou Cooke, Part Two
3 years agoAs architecture grapples with its own racist legacy, Hip-Hop Architecture outlines a powerful new manifesto-the voice of the underrepresented, marginalized, and voiceless within the discipline. In part two of this episode, we discuss Sekou’s now finished exhibit at the MoMA, how the transformation of public spaces has been used to displace marginalized communities, architecture’s response to social justice movements like Black Lives Matter, Sekou’s ultimate “desert island” hip-hop track, and much more.
Listen nowHip-Hop Architecture with Sekou Cooke, Part One
3 years agoAs architecture grapples with its own racist legacy, Hip-Hop Architecture outlines a powerful new manifesto-the voice of the underrepresented, marginalized, and voiceless within the discipline. In part one of this episode, we discuss the production of spaces, buildings, and urban environments that embody the creative energies in hip-hop, as well as the expanding design philosophy which which uses hip-hop as a lens through which to provoke new architectural ideas.
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A History of Private Policing in the United States with Bill Miller, Part Two
3 years agoIn part two of this episode, Bill Miller, author of A History of Private Policing in the United States, discusses the history of privatization in the police force, and how, in tandem with the US military and prison system, it has served as a major component of authority in America as an auxiliary of the state. Our conversation covers everything from gun violence, the role of police in suppressing the American labor movement in the 60s, and the current campaign to defund the police.
Listen nowA History of Private Policing in the United States with Bill Miller, Part One
3 years agoIn part one of this episode, Bill Miller, author of A History of Private Policing in the United States, discusses the history of privatization in the police force, and how, in tandem with the US military and prison system, it has served as a major component of authority in America as an auxiliary of the state. Our conversation covers everything from gun violence, the role of police in suppressing the American labor movement in the 60s, and the current campaign to defund the police.
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Back to Black with Kehinde Andrews, Part Two
3 years agoBack to Black seeks to show us the long, powerful and painful history of Black radical politics. Born out of resistance to slavery and colonialism, its rich past encompasses figures such as Marcus Garvey, Angela Davis, the Black Panthers and the Black Lives Matter activists of today. In part two of this episode, we discuss systemic racism in academia, the future of the Black Lives Matter movement, and much more.
Listen nowBack to Black with Kehinde Andrews, Part One
3 years agoBack to Black seeks to show us the long, powerful and painful history of Black radical politics. Born out of resistance to slavery and colonialism, its rich past encompasses figures such as Marcus Garvey, Angela Davis, the Black Panthers and the Black Lives Matter activists of today. In part one of this episode, we discuss Kehinde’s work as a Black activist and educator, the history of Black intellectual thought, and what a renewed politics of Black radicalism might look like in the 21st century.
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Hole's Live Through This with Anwen Crawford, Part Two
3 years agoLive Through This is an album about girlhood and motherhood; desire and disgust; self-destruction and survival. There have been few rock albums before or since so intimately concerned with female experience. It is an album that changed lives – so why is Courtney Love’s achievement as a songwriter and musician still not taken seriously, two decades on? In part two of this episode, we continue our discussion of how Courtney Love both challenged and parodied ideals of womanhood, the gendered connotations of fandom, Hole’s influence on the music of today, and more.
Listen nowHole's Live Through This with Anwen Crawford, Part One
3 years agoLive Through This is an album about girlhood and motherhood; desire and disgust; self-destruction and survival. There have been few rock albums before or since so intimately concerned with female experience. It is an album that changed lives – so why is Courtney Love’s achievement as a songwriter and musician still not taken seriously, two decades on? In part one of this episode, we explore Hole’s origin and influences, their glam 90s LA image, and the 3rd wave feminist backlash against Courtney Love as she challenged every preconceived notion of “good” womanhood.
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Octavia E. Butler with Kendra R. Parker
3 years agoOctavia E. Butler is widely recognized today as one of the most important figures in contemporary science fiction. In this episode, Kendra R. Parker discusses what attracted her to Butler’s work, before jumping into discussions about Afrofuturism, the environment, representation in literature, and much more. Connecting current social movements to those of Butler’s time, this episode ultimately reflects on the timeless nature of Butler’s work and her uncanny ability to predict the future.
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Paulo Freire with Walter Omar Kohan, Part Two
3 years agoPaulo Freire (1921-1997) is one of the most widely read and studied educational thinkers of our time. His seminal works, including Pedagogy of the Oppressed, sparked the global social and philosophical movement of critical pedagogy, and his ideas about the close ties between education and social justice and politics are as relevant today as they ever were. In part two of this episode, Walter Omar Kohan discusses his book, Paulo Freire: A Philosophical Biography, as well as the relationship between education and politics more broadly. He contextualizes Freire’s work within the past and current political terrain in Brazil and encourages educators to put themselves and their educational work into question by highlighting some of Freire’s lesser known thoughts on time.
Listen nowPaulo Freire with Walter Omar Kohan, Part One
3 years agoPaulo Freire (1921-1997) is one of the most widely read and studied educational thinkers of our time. His seminal works, including Pedagogy of the Oppressed, sparked the global social and philosophical movement of critical pedagogy, and his ideas about the close ties between education and social justice and politics are as relevant today as they ever were. In part one of this episode, Walter Omar Kohan discusses his book, Paulo Freire: A Philosophical Biography, as well as the relationship between education and politics more broadly. He contextualizes Freire’s work within the past and current political terrain in Brazil and encourages educators to put themselves and their educational work into question by highlighting some of Freire’s lesser known thoughts on time.
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Prison Theatre and the Global Crisis of Incarceration with Ashley E. Lucas - Part Two
3 years agoObscured behind concrete and razor wire, the lives of the incarcerated remain hidden from public view. Inside the walls, imprisoned people all over the world stage theatrical productions that enable them to assert their humanity and capabilities. In part two of this episode, Ashley E. Lucas discusses her most recent book, Prison Theatre and the Global Crisis of Incarceration, as well as her very personal experience with the carceral system growing up. We cover her in-depth research into prison institutions around the world, the role that theatre plays in creating community, and how it can transform the lives of the people forced into the prison system.
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