Banned Library Podcast
Episodes
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The loose autobiographical fiction of James Joyce at his most palatable in long form, Portrait tells the story of Stephen Dedalus and how he contends ...
Ireland's Lucky Lady, Shamrock
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about Ireland's Lucky Lady, the Marvel superhero known as Shamrock.
Oral History - Library Anna, Ghost Librarian
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we will be going on a bit of a bawdy journey into the library archive not meant for children. Sorry for the sound.
My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce Coville
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The library looks at a pre-YA classic about an alien invasion, talks about our favorite alien invasion movies, and discusses some potential ways to st...
The Glove by Fritz Leiber
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a neighbor's assault, a young man must wrestle with the supernatural possibilities of a glove the attacker left behind.
The Island by Alice Brown
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A man hears a tale of a shipwreck, a legendary island, and a lost love from a survivor of all three.
Square of Canvas by Anthony M. Rud
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A female art student listens to artist Hal Pemberton tell his life story in an insane asylum.
Ruby Bridges Goes to School by Ruby Bridges
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A little girl did a brave thing, and the world should remember to be kind.
Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mary kills her husband, and we go through her process.
Maus by Art Spiegelman
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Author Spiegelman interviews his father, a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor, while representing various groups in the story as animals.
Episode 3: Neon Gods and Writing Myth Takes
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What would happen if you took the greek myth of Hades and Persephone and made them sex a lot? Neon Gods bursts forth in a spicy story meant for those ...
Episode 2: Finna and the Quantum Immortality of Dale
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A broken couple battles capitalism through the multiverse while our host talks about how his brother was lost in time and space.Special thanks to @goh...
Episode 1: F9 and Granny's Spanish Love
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Starting the podcast fresh again, we talk F9: The Fast Saga and my Granny Wendy's lost love in Spain.
Banned TV - X-Files "Home"
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mulder and Scully fight the Peacock fam and learn what motherhood is all about. Except really disturbing
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mikael and Lisbeth come together to solve a decades old mystery while things get very dark for them.
Little Bill (series) written by Bill Cosby and Varnette P. Honeywood (illus.)
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Several lessons are learned including dealing with bullying, losing something you worked hard for, being a good sport, and not being a rapist.
Hunger Games (2012)
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When a young girl is picked to fight to the death, she does to the detriment of the crazy dystopian society's leader.
Big Hard Sex Criminals written by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (illus)
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When two people who can stop time after having orgasms start a relationship, things get complicated when they also start robbing banks to save a libra...
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When platonic friends need money, the easiest way to get what everyone wants is to make pornography.
Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth (illus.)
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we learn about sex and how people get so weird about their bits and bobs and why that matters.
Attack of the Vampire Weenies by David Lubar
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're talking short stories with bite that kill little kids in this episode that will make you believe mimes can be vampires.
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This book is just utter nonsense, so I make a bunch of stuff up.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A whole country hated this movie that Hard Rock Cafe strangely supported, a movie about spies fighting for drug use.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A kid loves this tree and the tree loves the kid back. Then the kid grows up, and the tree gets hacked to pieces.
The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein and Henry Cole (Illus.)
20 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A small duck named Elmer does not fit in until a killing spree shows how special he really is.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd (illus.)
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A rabbit says goodnight and outlasts the librarian who hated it.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle (illus.)
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We learn colors and animals and that Texas looks before they leap unless by reading this book you are an activated sleeper agent.
Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bad Kitty runs for neighborhood president and learns a lot along the way including some ways to not say swear words.
Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack and Stevie Lewis (illus.)
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A story of a brutal monarch who kills a dragon, but is also a very sweet LGBT+ love story.
Skippyjon Jones series by Judy Schachner
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A small cat decides he is a Mexican superhero and kills a bumblebee.
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Marlon Bundo and Jill Twiss, EG Keller (illus.)
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Marlon Bundo, the BOTUS, lives a lonely life until he meets Wesley. Can their love remain when the stink bug decides same sex marriage is still allowe...
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When a boy is bet he can't eat worms, he does despite his friends not being his friends through the pure evil that is the male ego.
This Day in June by Gayle E Pitman and Kristyna Litten
29 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's a parade in June that celebrates a great subculture as well as provides amazing information! Plus a pigeon.
Scarlet Street (1945)
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When a painter gets involved with some criminals, things take a super dark turn in this gritty noir.
Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
14 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A movie so funny they banned it in Norway, we're covering the life story of a man who got super killed.
Dirty Harry (1971)
01 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There's a crazy madman running around San Francisco, and he's chasing a serial killer.
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
24 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For Banned Books Week 2019, we revisit a story of a deranged relationship born from the world of fanfiction and now a multimillion dollar movie.
The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving
18 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A miserly couple has a run in with a man in the woods with an ax and it goes about like you would expect.
Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
17 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A collection of tales about humans making it to Mars and being pretty disappointed for the most part.
Color Out of Space by HP Lovecraft
17 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A surveyor hears the story of a meteor blighting the land of a small New England farm and destroying a family.
Guts by Chuck Palahniuk
04 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A young man tells us all about his adventure in a swimming pool.
I Saw Esau by Iona and Peter Opie
22 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when some folklorists gather together all the children's rhymes and have them illustrated by a master children's illustrator?
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
14 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A woman told to rest for her own good goes slowly insane in a room with yellow wallpaper… or does she? She totally does.
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
06 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
David did a bad thing and gets cursed by an old lady while figuring out who his friends are and what middle fingers are for.
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
30 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We follow the ups and downs and rapes of a Chilean family for several mystical generations.
Grendel by John Gardner
24 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We learn that a monster known to be a crazy bloodthirsty tornado of violence is really just a bit of a thinker. With claws.
Voicemails (2019)
12 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A librarian gets in trouble when he agrees to transcribe the voicemails of an older patron.
Shade's Children by Garth Nix
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When all the adults have vanished and overlords have taken over, a bunch of superpowered kids have sex and save the planet.
Friday Night Lights by H. G. Bissinger
25 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A not-so-banned book describing a town obsessed with high school football.
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A young girl befriends wolves and makes her way across the tundra looking for where she belongs.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Moby navigates water and religion and abortion and all kinds of difficult topics that are way worse than the language for which it was challenged.
So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins
14 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
An autobiographical tale of a young Japanese girl and her family escaping Korea and surviving after World War II.
The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A young girl in Holland spends two years in an upstairs room hiding from Nazis during World War II.
A Prayer for Owen Meany: John's Mom Got It Going On, Part 3
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
An overview of moving religions, John's mom at a baseball game, and a new man in the family.
A Prayer for Owen Meany: Instrumental History, Part 2
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A history of the town, religion, Owen, and John's mother and the fact that the rope weighed as much as little Owen.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
John Irving pens a book banned from within three states about a little boy with a big voice who really stinks at baseball.
Rainbow Boys, Coming of the Creeper, Part 5
19 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Kyle gives Jason a lift and Nelson gets super creepy on Kyle before they go to grandma's house.
Rainbow Boys, Meeting the Problem, Part 4
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nelson and Kyle almost fight some dudes and are starting a club while Kyle is struggling to come out to his parents.
Rainbow Boys: Rain Coming Down, Part 3
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nelson and Kyle run into a bump in the rain and Jason gets even more confused about his relationship with Debra.
Rainbow Boys: Coming Out, Part 2
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jason runs from a meeting, Kyle tries to talk to Jason, and Nelson is kinda a scorned bully.
Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
15 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A brief cover of the author and the banned book leads us to Jason meeting Kyle and Nelson at a meeting.
Death of a Salesman: What Sacrifices May Come, Part 5
12 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The state of Willy is revealed to his sons and everyone makes plans to do better despite themselves.
Death of a Salesman: Uncle Ben Comes, Part 4
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Back in the memory we learn where some problems started as Uncle Ben comes for a visit.
Death of a Salesman: What Dreams, Part 3
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The dreams become reality when we learn more about how things were back when for the Loman family.
Death of a Salesman: Father and Son Complaints, Part 2
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Willy and Linda talk about his problems and Biff while Biff and Happy make plans after waking up.
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
08 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Arthur Miller's play examines the American Dream at its heart: the family. We talk about the author then why the play is banned and get into it a litt...
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: House Guest, Part 4
05 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Alice fights off animals trying to get in their house, hangs with a puppy, and converses with a caterpillar smoking a hookah
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Animal Tails, Part 3
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Alice hangs out with some animals and hears a sad tail then masquerades as a housekeeper and gets stuck in a house.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Down the Hole, Part 2
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Alice falls down the rabbit hole and finds a room of doors and something to drink, just like we all did in college.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Part 1
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We cover Lewis Carroll and Alice falls down a hole into a mysterious world filled with nonsense and math problems.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Moby Dick Read-a-Long
01 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
New for the library is a read-a-long series of two classic books featuring commentary! We hope you had a great day!
Paths of Glory (1957)
25 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Four men go on trial for cowardice in this Stanley Kubrick film that was not liked by anyone who thought the French Army was better than they were.
No Escape (2015)
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A random white family finds themselves in the middle of an Asian coup and have to get out before they are executed.
Rambo (2008)
15 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rambo is back and killing all the people in Burma to save some dumbass white people.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
World War I Italy has a woman, cheese, alcohol, and bombs. An American ambulance driver romances, eats, drinks, and blows up.
In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our librarian learns a lot about sex and relationships in this nudity sex oh wow safe search on beautiful tragedy of a true story.
Pretty Baby (1978)
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our librarian goes back to the brothels of New Orleans Storyville for the story of a little girl learning to be a little girl despite growing up very ...
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
09 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our librarian goes to West and East Egg to see a bunch of rich assholes try and act like humans. Mostly they all fail.
Kids (1995)
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our librarian talks sex, drugs, murder, and rock and roll as we follow a bunch of jerks around New York City.
High School DxD (2012)
25 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In a fight between angels, demons, and fallen angels stands one horny teenage jerk who keeps getting himself in trouble.
The Tin Drum (1979)
16 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A young boy stops growing but keeps beating that goddamn drum. Just keeps on beating the drum and screaming.
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
08 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Librarian ST Harker joins the Greasers in their epic battle against the Socs and people who talk in movie theaters with The Outsiders Chapters 1-3.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
04 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our librarian ST Harker is back to talk Jesus over the holiday break with the story of the Crucifixion told a little different. What would Jesus do?
Da Vinci Code (2006)
18 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our librarian gets into the secrets of the church and symbolism following Tom Hank's mane around Paris and England!
Ben-Hur (1959)
11 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our librarian ST Harker goes back to Jesus times to follow the story of Jewish Charlton Heston as he gets betrayed and makes his way through life as a...
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When a few girls go sick from late night dancing, the town gets excited that witches might have come to Salem
Pink Flamingos (1972)
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Vying to be the "filthiest people in the world," a couple dealing in child trafficking attacks a violent cannibalistic family. Fun for the whole famil...
The Simpsons Movie (2007)
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The long running television show gets a movie where the famous family ruins their town, runs to Alaska, and learns a lot about what being a family mea...
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
13 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The story of people being the worst people on the planet. Money, sex, and drugs!
Black Boy by Richard Wright
06 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A memoir of a great writer dealing with racial issues, poverty, domestic violence, and a lot of moving around and learning.
The Exorcist (1973)
23 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When a little girl begins showing strange behavior, rather than say "teens, what you gonna do?" her mom calls in the priests.
Friday the 13th (1980)
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Back to summer camp with a killer knife person taking out the most horrible creatures of all: camp counselors!
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Join us while we talk about one of the most influential and censored movies and why it should really be The Texas Sledgehammer Massacre.
Detour for Emmy by Marilyn Reynolds
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our October horror fest begins with the scariest thing of all: Teen pregnancy! Emmy has an okay life that gets better when she gets a boyfriend and st...
Last Tango in Paris (1972)
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When a widower and a sad girl get together in an apartment, things get weird. A little sexy, then not, then things just go super creepy pants. Trigger...
The Great Dictator (1940)
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The time is late 1930s and a childish dictator of a European country and a Jewish barber are trying to make their way in the world.
Wonder Woman (2017)
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A woman of wonder comes from a fabled island of Greek legend to help out during World War I. No man's land, indeed.
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
04 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We get into one of the most memorable books and movies of all time, talking about the O'Hara family and how Scar-O plans to win the hand of Ashley at ...
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
07 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A young boy grows up on a farm and is destroyed by a bull, but he gets a pig out of it so winner winner chicken dinner.
Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Being ten is so hard, especially when you have to make lists about all the things you hate. Plus there's the cocaine addiction. Maybe?