In Episode 3, Jessica tells Christine about Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. This fast-paced book--which shows "what life might have been like for a queer Asian American girl who dreamed of rocket ships, growing up in the 1950s"--is a coming-of-age narrative with a love story. However, it's also a deeply poignant book that tells a story that is all too familiar: how a queer young person has to find hope in the midst of a complicated relationship with her family. Christine and Jessica have a poignant discussion about love, culture, families, and hope in the future for young people who might not always feel hope today.

(Special note: if you need support or to connect with resources, please reach out to us via the "Contact Us" page on our website or @beautifulandbannedpod DM, and we will try to connect you to the right people. If your life is in danger, please speak to trustworthy adults in your life or call 911 immediately.)

"The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by Jessica Goudeau and Christine Renee Miller. Follow us on social media: @beautifulandbannedpod, @christinereneemiller, and @jessica_goudeau.

If you haven’t yet become a Patreon subscriber, you can join now for just $3 a month. In addition to joining the Banned Geeks Book Club, your $3 helps us stay the course by highlighting banned works and bringing you these conversations each week. Thank you for your support! The success of this podcast depends on you!

If you’d like to advertise with us, visit the "Contact Us" page on our website. If you liked our show, please rate and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. The best way to support a new podcast is to share it with your friends!

Our co-producer, Rob Heath, wrote and performed our theme music. Kalin Siegwald designed our logo. Steph Karpuek is our amazing podcast assistant. This is A Sisters By Different Misters Production.

Join us next week as Jessica interviews Charley Rejsek, the CEO of BookPeople, in an incredible, inspirational interview for National Banned Books Week!

Episode 3 Links:

• Malinda Lo's website
• An excellent interview with Lo for Lambda Literary
• Britannica on McCarthyism
• Time on the Lavender Scare
• Jessica's knowledge about the history of immigration comes from her research for her first book, After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America

We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text to suggest books, plays, films, or guests, or just share your thoughts!

Christine is joined by special guest, actor Kelly AuCoin, who plays "Dollar" Bill Sterns on Billions and Pastor Tim on The Americans (among many other roles!). They discuss "Life of Brian," the 1979 Monty Python sensation that was banned instantly for its irreverence and satire. This dark comedy still speaks incredibly well to our own particular age, and Christine and Kelly analyze the legacy of the film then and now--and do a lot of British impressions.

If you haven’t yet become a Patreon subscriber, you can join now for just $3 a month. In addition to joining the Banned Geeks Book Club, your $3 helps us stay the course by highlighting banned works and bringing you these conversations each week. Thank you for your support! The success of this podcast depends on you!

"The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by Jessica Goudeau and Christine Renee Miller. Follow us on social media: @beautifulandbannedpod, @christinereneemiller, and @jessica_goudeau.

If you’d like to advertise with us, visit the "Contact Us" page on our website. If you liked our show, please rate and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. The best way to support a new podcast is to share it with your friends!

Our co-producer, Rob Heath, wrote and performed our theme music. Kalin Siegwald designed our logo. Steph Karpuek is our amazing podcast assistant. This is A Sisters By Different Misters Production.

Join us next week as Christine and Jessica discuss Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo! Make sure you watch our Instagram account for more updates!

Links for Episode 2:

• Kelly Aucoin's website
• Find out more about the incredible nonprofit, KultureCity, that Kelly's on the board of
• Info on Monty Python's "Life of Brian"
• Mary Whitehouse's background info
• A great behind-the-scenes documentary, "The Secret Life of Brian"

We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text to suggest books, plays, films, or guests, or just share your thoughts!

Send us a text

In Episode 1 of Season 2, Christine and Jessica discuss I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This book has been deeply influential in Jessica's life since her 10th grade teacher, Ms. Snow, gave her a copy of the book. Christine--a longtime fan of Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman" and other poems--reads the book for the first time. Join us as we dive deep into one of the most important works of the last century, written by one of the greatest writers of our lifetime.

If you haven’t yet become a Patreon subscriber, you can join now for just $3 a month. In addition to joining the Banned Geeks Book Club, your $3 helps us stay the course by highlighting banned works and bringing you these conversations each week. Thank you for your support! The success of this podcast depends on you!

"The Beautiful and Banned" is produced by Jessica Goudeau and Christine Renee Miller. Follow us on social media: @beautifulandbannedpod, @christinereneemiller, and @jessica_goudeau.

If you’d like to advertise with us, visit the "Contact Us" page on our website. If you liked our show, please rate and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. The best way to support a new podcast is to share it with your friends!

Our co-producer, Rob Heath, wrote and performed our theme music. Kalin Siegwald designed our logo. Steph Karpuek is our amazing podcast assistant. This is A Sisters By Different Misters Production.

Join us next week as Christine discusses Monty Python’s "The Life of Brian" with special guest Kelly AuCoin from Billions! Make sure you watch our Instagram account for more updates!

Links for Episode 1:

• Link to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Soundcloud of Angelou talking about her name (her voice is incredible!)
• Angelou's bio
• Obituary of Robert Loomis, Angelou's longtime editor
• Interview of Angelou talking about her "souped-up bus"
• New African article about Angelou, "the most banned author in the US"
• History.com article about mailing actual children through the post office in the 1930s

We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text to suggest books, plays, films, or guests, or just share your thoughts!