When Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States came out in 1980, it literally rocked the boat. Instead of starting where most histories of the Americas start — on the deck of Columbus’s ship as it approached land — Howard Zinn flipped the script, focusing instead on what the people standing on the shore would have seen. In this episode, we look at the ripple effects of Zinn’s radical take on history. You can read a transcript of this episode on our web page. Check out our booklist wi...
Aug 04, 2025•21 min•Season 9Ep. 5
Reginald Dwayne Betts is a poet, a lawyer, and the founder and CEO of Freedom Reads, an organization with the goal of bringing a library to every cell block in America. We talked with him about what he read – and wrote – while he was incarcerated, and what it taught him about what it means to be free, to be loved, and to be part of a community. Read a transcript of this episode on our website, and find books by Betts in our library catalog....
Jul 29, 2025•21 min•Season 9Ep. 4
There are so many reasons to read – and reread – The Autobiography of Malcolm X. But for this episode, we’re revisiting the book with the perspectives of readers who are, or were, incarcerated. Malcolm X’s story isn’t just radical for its narrative of change and self-improvement; it also encourages readers to think more critically about the prison system itself. You can read a transcript of this episode on our website. Check out our booklist with titles related to The Autobiography of Malcolm X....
Jul 22, 2025•26 min•Season 9Ep. 3
N.K. Jemisin is a New York Times-bestselling science fiction and fantasy writer. She’s a Brooklynite, the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and the first author to win three Best Novel Hugos in a row. We talked to her about Octavia Butler’s influence on her writing, and how she processes the present moment in her own fiction. You can read a transcript of this episode on our website, and check out our booklist with titles from Octavia Butler, N.K. Jemisin, and more!...
Jul 15, 2025•21 min•Season 9Ep. 2
In these unfathomable moments, when the world seems to be falling apart—we often turn to stories for guidance. For the folks in Southern California earlier this year, that story was Parable of the Sower . Readers are returning to the book today because it shows us how speculation – and Afrofuturism in particular – can help us move through the world with our eyes open. Read a transcript of this episode on our website. Check out our booklist with titles from Octavia Butler, N.K. Jemisin, and more!...
Jul 08, 2025•27 min•Season 9Ep. 1
Borrowed and Returned is a new podcast series that examines what our reading public borrowed in the past, and what we’re all reading now. In conversations with library workers, authors and readers across the country, we’ll return to the books that changed us, and changed America, too. First episode drops July 8, with new episodes coming out weekly. Spend your summer re-reading with us!
Jun 24, 2025•2 min
A new exhibit at BPL's Center for Brooklyn History explores the history and legacy of slavery here in Brooklyn. The team at CBH gathered documents and accounts from people who were touched by slavery in Brooklyn, and traced the descendants of both the enslaved and enslavers. " Trace/s " is up at the Center for Brooklyn History (128 Pierrepont Street) through August 30, 2025. This audio story is a companion to the exhibit, and it was produced by audio journalist and historian Ula Kulpa. Trace/s i...
Jun 18, 2025•14 min•Season 8Ep. 14
As 2024 comes to a close, we wanted to share with you an episode that we produced all the way back in 2020. That year, we went to Coney Island to record the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, the group of swimmers that congregate on Coney Island every Sunday in winter to swim in the frigid ocean as a way to renew themselves. It’s a fun one, and we hope you enjoy! Further resources: Look at historic photos of the Polar Bear Club and Coney Island . Take the plunge with the Polar Bear Club this New Year...
Dec 30, 2024•11 min•Season 8Ep. 13
Graphic novels, Haitian-American book bingo, and The Power Broker. These are just a few of the book clubs happening at Brooklyn Public Library! This episode, we take a tour around the borough to listen in on our patrons' reading habits and ask why we still read together. Read a transcript of this episode here. Further resources: Check out our book clubs happening across the borough! Want to read The Power Broker? You can join the club at Macon Library or follow along with the podcast 99% Invisib...
Nov 27, 2024•18 min•Season 8Ep. 12
We're pulling out all the stops for the first annual Freedom to Read Day of Action on Saturday, October 19th! Hear from libraries in Los Angeles, San Diego, Hoboken, NJ and Austin, TX about what they're doing to promote the freedom to read. And, if you're in Brooklyn, meet us on the steps of Central Library this Saturday for a book rally! You can read the transcript here . Further resources: Join Brooklyn Public Library on October 19th for our Freedom to Read Day of Action ! Or check out events ...
Oct 15, 2024•15 min•Season 8Ep. 11
For Banned Books Week this year, we’re returning to our award-winning series, Borrowed and Banned . Because the fight isn’t over. In 2023, the American Library Association documented a 65% increase in the number of book titles challenged across the country. Listen to the first episode of the series about what happened in one Oklahoma town when their freedom to read was challenged. And how one teacher’s response caught the nation’s attention. Read the transcript here , and check out the following...
Sep 23, 2024•27 min•Season 8Ep. 10
Bedford-Stuyvesant is perhaps one of Brooklyn’s most iconic neighborhoods. Its tree-lined streets and grand brownstones have been here for over 150 years. This episode, a re-broadcast from 2019, tells the story of Bed-Stuy through the lives of three women who set down roots here in different ways: activist Hattie Carthan, writer Paule Marshall, and novelist Naomi Jackson. Read a transcript of this episode here . Further resources: Check out our list of books curated for this episode. Learn more ...
Aug 15, 2024•25 min•Season 8Ep. 9
Splitting her time between Athens, Georgia and Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Nicole A. Taylor is a food writer and author of several cookbooks. She sat down with BPL’s Bed-Stuy Tea podcast to discuss finding and preserving her Southern voice, the pleasures of restaurant research, and her favorite local spots to eat and drink. Read a transcript of this episode here . Further resources: Listen to more episodes of Bed-Stuy Tea on our website , or subscribe to BKLYN Community Audio on Spotify or Apple Podcast...
Jul 30, 2024•29 min•Season 8Ep. 8
It's summer and school's out! No matter what age you are, you can spend your summer at the library with book lists and activities galore. We go over the facts and stats of BPL's popular Culture Pass program, which has helped thousands of New Yorkers visit museums and performance spaces in the city ... for free! Read a transcript of the episode here . More resources: Reserve free passes to museums and performance sites across NYC with Culture Pass (and your library card )! Is there a kid or teen ...
Jun 26, 2024•12 min•Season 8Ep. 7
Brooklyn Public Library has been hosting Drag Story Hours since 2016. It's one of our most popular, colorful, and well-attended events for kids. In this episode, we explore why Drag Story Hour is important, and how it’s had to change in recent years in response to an increasingly tense political climate. More resources: June is Pride Month! Celebrate at the Library with crafting, story times, film screenings and more ! Learn more about Drag Story Hour and explore their resources for parents and ...
Jun 06, 2024•15 min•Season 8Ep. 6
Outside of Brooklyn, Arthur Miller's name has largely faded from memory. On this episode, we tell the story of the Black community leader who was killed by NYPD chokehold in 1978, the movement pushed forward as a result of his death, and the ways that Brooklyn Public Library’s Center for Brooklyn History helps to keep the story alive. Further resources: Listen to the " Voices of Crown Heights Oral History Collection " or visit the Center for Brooklyn History in person. Check out our list of book...
May 17, 2024•17 min•Season 8Ep. 5
Listen in on one of BPL's most popular art programs: a theater workshop where, once a week, budding thespians come together to read plays, talk about character motivations, and dig into some surprisingly emotional and political topics. Read a transcript of this episode on our website . Join fellow thespians at Central Library's theater workshop. Or, find a creative writing workshop at branches across BPL. Read along with the theater workshop by checking out the plays on our booklist . The Librar...
May 01, 2024•17 min•Season 8Ep. 4
We revisit an episode from January 2021 in honor of National Library Workers Day, and ask: what do librarians do all day? When they're not planning programs or working the reference desk, these librarians are also obscure trivia players, birders and ... sword fighters! Read a transcript here . Have a minute? Vote for Borrowed and Banned in the Webby's! We were nominated for an award in the "Best Writing for Podcasts" category. Celebrate National Library Workers Day by thanking your favorite libr...
Apr 09, 2024•17 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Teens and older adults are perhaps the two age groups you might think have the least in common. But a new program at BPL seeks to bring the two generations together ... by having them debate. Read a transcript of this episode on our web page . Resources mentioned on this episode: Learn more about services for older adults at BPL and programs for teens ! Listen to " Bridging the Gap ," a podcast series on our BKLYN Community Audio feed and check out these books about debate . Take this very short...
Mar 21, 2024•12 min•Season 8Ep. 2
Brooklyn has 62 neighborhood libraries, each with a distinct architecture, culture, and soul. To kick off the new season and to celebrate our audio stories coming home to Brooklyn, we'll take a tour of the borough with the help of our neighborhood libraries and some of our stalwart patrons who visited all 62 of them ... in a matter of days! Read a transcript of this episode. Take our Browse the Branches challenge! Not in New York City? You can read your way through the branches with this book li...
Mar 14, 2024•14 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Student activists in York, Pennsylvania organized a silent protest when hundreds of books were banned from their classrooms, paving the way for lasting change in their community. In this final episode of the series, we tackle the challenge head-on: from encouraging open dialogue about the books on our shelves to the ongoing work of protecting the freedom to read. Read the transcript here . Our call to action for this episode: How will you use the stories you’ve heard over the course of this seri...
Dec 14, 2023•30 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Library workers often risk their livelihoods when they speak out against censorship, spurring community members to pick up the fight for intellectual freedom. We tell the story of how one Louisiana parish came together to defend their library amidst book challenges, tip lines, and even sign burning. Read the transcript here . Our call to action for this episode: Find the people in your community who care about public libraries and get together with them. More resources: EveryLibrary Institute is...
Dec 07, 2023•26 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Maia Kobabe's debut memoir, Gender Queer , was the most frequently banned book in 2021 and 2022. We talked with em about what it's like to be on the recieving end of so many challenges, and the importance of public libraries. Read the transcript here . More resources: Check out Gender Queer. Find Maia's resources for defending Gender Queer , and eir recent comic about book bans and libraries . Read The Washington Post's article on book bans ....
Nov 30, 2023•19 min
Despite being one of the most frequently banned authors, Toni Morrison’s work has inspired countless others to tell stories outside the mainstream. We take a closer look at Morisson's writing, her legacy, and her impact on the anti-censorship movement. Read the transcript here . Our call to action for this episode: Learn how you can support and defend public libraries at Libraries for the People . More resources: Read Toni Morrison's books . If you're a young person, you can apply for a Books Un...
Nov 22, 2023•24 min•Season 7Ep. 5
George M. Johnson talks about their debut Young Adult memoir All Boys Aren't Blue, the support of their family, their love of Toni Morrison, and the importance of standing against book bans. Read the transcript here . Resources: Check out All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson . Read about Johnson's family supporting their book when it was challenged in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Access other banned books with our free Books Unbanned library card for teens....
Nov 16, 2023•17 min
Our call to action for this episode: Talk about the books that are important to you, even if they aren’t challenged. Stay informed about what books are being challenged in your area by subscribing to Book Riot's Literary Activism Newsletter . Each week, journalist Kelly Jensen writes about the latest in book banning trends, stories, and reports from across the country. More resources: Read the new "classics," selected by teens. If you're a young person, you can join the Intellectual Freedom Teen...
Nov 09, 2023•21 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Mike Curato talks about his award-winning graphic novel Flamer , his writing practice, and how it feels to have his story vaulted into national headlines as parents, politicians, and school boards campaign to remove his book from school and library shelves. Read the transcript here . Resources: Check out Flamer from BPL, or other books by Mike Curato . See what books were most frequently challenged in 2022, according to the America Library Association. This conversation touches on suicide. If yo...
Nov 02, 2023•18 min
Over the past few years, school board races have become more heated and more political — and books have become the center of that political storm. We look at what happened in Keller, Texas when an ultra-conservative group took over the school board. You can read a transcript of this episode here . Our call to action for this episode: Find out when the next school board meeting is happening in your community, and show up. Unite Against Book Bans has an Action Toolkit with advice for how to talk a...
Oct 26, 2023•28 min•Season 7Ep. 3
It’s an off-week for Borrowed and Banned , but we do have something special to share. We’re doing a collaboration with PRX’s Radiotopia , and they sent along an episode from one of their shows that is really relevant to our series. This Day in Esoteric Political History is a podcast that tells the story of one moment from US history that took place on a particular day -- and discuss what it might have to teach us about our current moment. Back in 2020, the hosts did an episode about the banning ...
Oct 19, 2023•21 min
The birth of obscenity laws in the 1870s provides a cautionary tale for the present moment, when far-right conservatives incorrectly label books “sexually explicit” as a way to provoke outrage in communities nationwide. This episode, we delve into the parallels that history can reveal and hear from students in Texas fighting for their freedom to read. You can read a transcript of this episode here . Our calls to action for this episode: Be an ally and an advocate for the teens in your life. Star...
Oct 12, 2023•27 min•Season 7Ep. 2
