New Books in Critical Theory

Marshall Poe

Episodes

Mentioned books

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Feb 14, 2024 • 38min

Kareem Khubchandani, "Decolonize Drag" (OR Books, 2023)

Kareem Khubchandani discusses his book 'Decolonize Drag', exploring gender, colonialism, and drag performance. He critiques RuPaul's Drag Race for its white supremacy and capitalism. The discussion delves into the lack of support and transphobia on a reality show, as well as the influence of race, location, and disability on drag performances.
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Feb 13, 2024 • 44min

Josh Fernandez, "The Hands That Crafted the Bomb: The Making of a Lifelong Antifascist" (PM Press, 2024)

Josh Fernandez, a community college professor, discusses his memoir about his life as an antifascist. He reflects on his childhood, the rise of Nazi boneheads in the early '90s music scene, his experiences living in his car and fighting Nazis. Fernandez shares how running and fighting Nazis became outlets for his rage. He also talks about his work as a writing professor, a facilitator of a self-defense collective, and a boots-on-the-ground participant in Antifa work.
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Feb 12, 2024 • 59min

James L. Gibson and Michael J. Nelson, "Judging Inequality: State Supreme Courts and the Inequality Crisis" (Russell Sage, 2021)

Political scientists James L. Gibson and Michael J. Nelson analyze how state high courts shape American inequality through policy decisions and rulings favoring privileged litigants. They discuss the challenges of data collection, the influence of state Supreme Court decisions on abortion laws, the relevance and impact of state courts in the United States, and the consequences of a consistently conservative Supreme Court. They emphasize the need to study state Supreme Courts and for citizens to stay informed about their actions.
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Feb 12, 2024 • 39min

Lehasa Moloi, "Developing Africa?: New Horizons with Afrocentricity" (Anthem Press, 2024)

Lehasa Moloi, author of Developing Africa?: New Horizons with Afrocentricity, discusses decolonizing African development discourses, exploring Afrocentricity and its critiques, and the importance of reflection and reclaiming African history.
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Feb 10, 2024 • 44min

Devin Griffiths and Deanna Kreisel, "After Darwin: Literature, Theory, and Criticism in the Twenty-First Century" (Cambridge UP, 2022)

Devin Griffiths and Deanna Kreisel, two experts in literature, theory, and criticism in the 21st century, discuss their edited collection of essays on Darwin's impact on literature, philosophy, and various interdisciplinary fields. They explore Darwin's storytelling approach, his contributions to race and gender theories, and his use of aesthetics in conveying scientific ideas. The podcast also delves into the intersection of literature and science throughout history and highlights the concept of struggle for existence in Darwin's work.
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Feb 7, 2024 • 1h 5min

Calvin John Smiley, "Purgatory Citizenship: Reentry, Race, and Abolition" (U California Press, 2023)

Calvin John Smiley, Associate Professor of Sociology at Hunter College, City University of New York, discusses the challenges faced by formerly incarcerated individuals in reentry. Topics include the cyclical pattern of reentry, earning trust in the re-entry center, critical reentry studies, underdevelopment in Newark, 'purgatory citizenship,' and rethinking justice in the criminal system.
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Feb 7, 2024 • 29min

Nick Romeo, "The Alternative: How to Build a Just Economy" (PublicAffairs, 2024)

Author Nick Romeo debunks accepted economic wisdom in his book 'The Alternative: How to Build a Just Economy'. He explores the concept of true prices, the need for a broader definition of a living wage, and the success of companies paying robust living wages. The podcast also discusses the potential positive effects of a national job guarantee in America, the rise of strike activity amid low unemployment, and the democratic impact of participatory budgeting in Kashkash, Portugal.
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Feb 7, 2024 • 1h 4min

Steven High, "Deindustrializing Montreal: Entangled Histories of Race, Residence, and Class" (McGill-Queen's UP, 2022)

Steven High, author of Deindustrializing Montreal: Entangled Histories of Race, Residence, and Class, explores the impact of deindustrialization on Montreal's neighborhoods and the interconnected processes of urban revival, gentrification, and neighborhood displacement. They discuss the construction of race and class identities, partnership with community organizations, the preservation of historical sites, and the affordability of the book.
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Feb 4, 2024 • 50min

Eglė Rindzevičiūtė, "The Will to Predict: Orchestrating the Future Through Science" (Cornell UP, 2023)

Eglė Rindzevičiūtė, an Associate Professor of Criminology and Sociology at Kingston University, explores the history and significance of scientific predictions in Soviet Russia. She discusses the evolution of prediction from ancient Greece to modern science, the historical development of scientific forecasting in the Russian Empire and communist Russia, and the use of science in policy decisions in the Soviet Union. She also emphasizes the importance of studying non-Western European cases in understanding predictive expertise.
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Feb 4, 2024 • 56min

Courtney Brannon Donoghue, "The Value Gap: Female-Driven Films from Pitch to Premiere" (U Texas Press, 2023)

Courtney Brannon Donoghue, author of 'The Value Gap: Female-Driven Films from Pitch to Premiere,' discusses gender inequities in the film industry, the limitations of quantitative data in understanding diversity, the challenges of interviewing in the industry, the changing landscape of streaming, and the undervaluation of female-driven films.

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