Week, schmeek, we’re celebrating Banned Books Month and our freedom to read throughout October. This week we talk with author and poet Amber McBride about her novel in verse, The Leaving Room, which turns big questions about death, story, and spirit into something tender and human. Our conversation ranges from books and storytelling to censorship and the comfort literature can offer young readers.
Amber reminds us that reading can be joy, resistance, and freedom all at once. And yes — the freedom to choose what we read matters more than ever. We are not saying read everything. We are saying people should have access, choice, and context. That distinction changes everything.
You can find Amber McBride at amber-mcbride.com and on Instagram, Tiktok, and Threads @ambsmcbride
Books and media we discussed during our conversation include:
Tar Beach, by Faith Ringgold
Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
Anything at all by Judy Blume
Films The Shape of Water and Frankenstein directed by Guillermo del Toro,
The Poem “Literal” from Ani DiFranco Verses, by Ani DiFranco
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
The Oz Books by L. Frank Baum
The Netflix Documentary High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America based on the book High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris
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