Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship

The handmaids file into the courtyard for a mass wedding of teenage brides, and the Commander takes the podium with a speech about how much Gilead has "given" women. Then the Bible gets quoted, the hymns get sung, and the Handmaid gets a warning from Ofglen that someone knows where she has been going at night. Jennifer and Dan read it, argue about it, and keep finding reasons to hate the seating chart. This episode includes AI-voiced content, including our trusty fact-checking robot, Robot. Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter — we don't read ahead, so you're discovering the story with us. Things To Listen For: Jennifer tries to say "salmon" while living in Washington state and has a salmon creek in her own backyard. The Commander's voice is described as "metal-colored and horn-shaped," and Robot gets some unwanted comparisons. Robot explains the real hymn behind "a balm in Gilead" and why Atwood named her country after a place that heals people. Robot gives the real history of purity rings and purity balls. Jennifer and Dan react the way you would expect. Jennifer learns exactly which Bible verse the Commander is quoting, and Robot points out a one-word change Atwood made. Jennifer's future in the Colonies gets a very specific and very loving forecast. Robot's Private Journal takes a hard look at bathroom stall graffiti, and then goes somewhere it was not supposed to go. Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?This chapter has a wedding night passage that challengers often point to as "sexually explicit," and a Commander who turns Bible verses into rules for women. Both help explain why the book keeps landing on challenge lists, even though it mostly shows what happens when religion and government team up. If this is your first episode, you're fine starting here. Our fact-checking Robot catches you up fast, then we read the next chapter (spoilers). Banworthy to Bingeworthy Our friend Beowulf checks in again with good news from the fight against book bans. Good News for Lefties: Beowulf's show, broadcasting from a socialist safe house in the Oregon woods. This time he reports on the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and its Read Between the Bans campaign, which raised more than $7,000 and gave away nearly 400 banned books for free. Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts Rate, review, and follow us on Apple Podcasts to help other scary book people find us! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-camp-banned-books-comedy-and-free-speech-vs/id1676866857 Disclaimer Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines. The material used from the book The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders, and we strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the book in its entirety. https://bookshop.org/a/20953/9780385490818 This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Margaret Atwood, her estate, or the publishers of The Handmaid's Tale. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed. Frequently Asked Questions Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned? The Handmaid's Tale has been challenged or banned in American schools and libraries every single year since its publication in 1985. It was the most challenged book in the United States in 2023. It has been targeted for profanity, sexually explicit content, and content deemed "offensive to Christians." But the deeper reason is that Margaret Atwood showed what happens when a government uses religion, tradition, and "protecting families" as justification for stripping women of their rights, their names, and their autonomy. That's the part that

The Handmaid and Ofglen walk to a Prayvaganza past lawns stripped clean of dandelions, and Jennifer can't stop thinking about how something so many people call a weed is actually one of the happiest memories of being a kid. Once they arrive, a whispered phrase from Ofglen about another Handmaid's baby forces Jennifer and Dan to figure out exactly what Gilead does with a child the regime decides isn't good enough to keep. This episode includes AI-voiced content, including our trusty fact-checking robot, Robot. Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter — we don't read ahead, so you're discovering the story with us. Things To Listen For: Jennifer's dandelion monologue turns into a debate about who invented "mama had a baby and her head popped off," and yes, that's a real childhood rhyme Dan explains Gilead's tiered Prayvaganza system using a Pop Warner football analogy, and Robot confirms it actually holds up The moment Ofglen tells the Handmaid "it was a shredder after all," and what that phrase turns out to actually mean for Janine's baby Beowulf brings good news about the American Library Association's Banned Books Week 2026 theme and the show's new Bookshelf Initiative Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned? This chapter shows exactly how Gilead gets away with what it does to the Handmaids, by convincing everyone around them that they simply don't feel things the way other people do. That same language, used historically to justify slavery and used today to justify forced birth laws, is the part of this book that keeps getting it challenged. If this is your first episode, you're fine starting here. Our fact-checking Robot catches you up fast, then we read the next chapter (spoilers). Nominate a Librarian for the Bookshelf Initiative Every quarter, Banned Camp donates a full set of every banned book we've ever covered on this show to one nominated high school librarian, and the big one happens every October during Banned Books Week. Nominations are open now through September 27th. If you know a high school librarian who's fought a book challenge or is just quietly doing great work, nominate them at bandcamppodcast.com/thebookshelfinitiative. It takes about ninety seconds. Banworthy to Bingeworthy Beowulf from Good News for Lefties stops by with an actual bright spot this week. Good News for Lefties — Beowulf reports that the American Library Association just announced the theme for Banned Books Week 2026, "Let Books Be: Protect the Freedom to Read," running October 4th through 10th, plus details on Band Camp's new partnership with the ALA's Unite Against Book Bans campaign. Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts Rate, review, and follow us on Apple Podcasts to help other scary book people find us! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-camp-banned-books-comedy-and-free-speech-vs/id1676866857 Disclaimer Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines. The material used from the book The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders, and we strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the book in its entirety. https://bookshop.org/a/20953/9780385490818 This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Margaret Atwood, her estate, or the publishers of The Handmaid's Tale. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed. Frequently Asked Questions Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned? The Handmaid's Tale has been challenged or banned in American schools and libraries every single year since its publication in 1985. It was the most challenged book in the United States in 2023. It has

This is a bonus episode, not a chapter. Jennifer and Dan are launching something new called the Bookshelf Initiative: every quarter, Banned Camp is giving away a full set of every banned book they've ever covered on the show to one nominated high school librarian. Here's how it works and how to nominate someone before nominations close. Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter. We don't read ahead. Things To Listen For: Why eleven seasons of banned books turned into a plan to actually give the books away Why this round is scoped to high school librarians specifically, and how that ties back to what's on the shelf, including The Handmaid's Tale The one thing they're looking for in a nominee: someone who's fought a book challenge, or is just quietly doing great work while people try to make their job harder How short the nomination actually is (school, one line on why, your name and email, no essay required) Why you don't need to know the librarian's name to nominate their school The full timeline: nominations close September 21, a winner gets picked the following week, and the winner is announced during Banned Books Week, October 4 to 10, the same week the books ship A shoutout to the free-expression and library organizations helping spread the word, who'll get named by name when the winner is announced How to nominate a librarian for the Bookshelf Initiative Nominations are open now through September 21 at bannedcamppodcast.com/the-bookshelf-initiative. It takes about ninety seconds. Jennifer and Dan go through every nomination themselves and pick a winner September 22 through 28, then announce it in a special bonus episode during Banned Books Week. Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts Rate, review, and follow us on Apple Podcasts to help other scary book people find us! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-camp-banned-books-comedy-and-free-speech-vs/id1676866857 Disclaimer Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines. This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Margaret Atwood, her estate, or the publishers of The Handmaid's Tale. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed. Frequently Asked Questions What is the Bookshelf Initiative? The Bookshelf Initiative is a new quarterly giveaway from Banned Camp. Every quarter, the show donates a full set of every banned book it has ever covered to one nominated high school librarian. The flagship round happens every October, timed to Banned Books Week. How do I nominate a librarian for the Bookshelf Initiative? Visit bannedcamppodcast.com/the-bookshelf-initiative and submit the school, one line on why, and your name and email. You don't need to know the librarian's name. Nominations for the first round close September 21, 2026. Topics Covered: Bookshelf Initiative, Banned Camp, banned books, book donation, high school librarians, Banned Books Week, book bans, censorship, nominate a librarian, banned books podcast

Rita's cutting radishes into little Aztec hearts and Offred just wants a match. That's it, that's the whole ask, and somehow it turns into the most loaded transaction in the house. This chapter gives us a stolen cigarette, a hidden plan, and a commander who wants credit for building the world he broke. This episode includes AI-voiced content, including our trusty fact-checking robot, Robot. Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter — we don't read ahead, so you're discovering the story with us. Things To Listen For: Dan calls his shot early: someone in this book is going to cut themselves, and he wants credit if he's right Robot traces the Marthas back to Luke 10 and roasts Martha Stewart along the way The Commander explains why "better" never means better for everyone, and Dan explains what he'd have asked for instead A detour through Real Sex, powerful men, and dominatrix economics that somehow loops back to who really holds the power in this house Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?This chapter's version of the Commander explaining away a system built on controlling women's bodies, paired with the quiet menace of Rita's "burn the house down" line, is exactly the kind of content that gets books like this pulled from shelves. It's not the sex or the violence that scares people, it's how reasonable the man justifying it sounds. If this is your first episode, you're fine starting here. Our fact-checking Robot catches you up fast, then we read the next chapter (spoilers). Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts Rate, review, and follow us on Apple Podcasts to help other scary book people find us! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-camp-banned-books-comedy-and-free-speech-vs/id1676866857 Disclaimer Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines. The material used from the book The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders, and we strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the book in its entirety. https://bookshop.org/a/20953/9780385490818 This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Margaret Atwood, her estate, or the publishers of The Handmaid's Tale. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed. Frequently Asked Questions Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned? The Handmaid's Tale has been challenged or banned in American schools and libraries every single year since its publication in 1985. It was the most challenged book in the United States in 2023. It has been targeted for profanity, sexually explicit content, and content deemed "offensive to Christians." But the deeper reason is that Margaret Atwood showed what happens when a government uses religion, tradition, and "protecting families" as justification for stripping women of their rights, their names, and their autonomy. That's the part that actually scares book banners, because it looks a lot like Tuesday. Is there a podcast that reads The Handmaid's Tale chapter by chapter? That's us. Banned Camp reads a different banned book every season, one chapter at a time — neither host has read ahead, so you're discovering the story together in real time. Season 11 covers The Handmaid's Tale, and every episode includes the chapter reading, discussion, a fact-checking Robot, and a segment on why books get banned. Do I need to start Banned Camp from the beginning? No. Every episode opens with Robot's recap of the previous chapter, so you can jump in anywhere. Most listeners tell us they started mid-season and went back to the beginning after they were hooked. Why does Offred want a match in The Handmaid's Tale? In

The Handmaid counts her days, walks the wall with Ofglen, and gets pulled aside by Serena Joy for a yarn-winding session that turns into something a lot more calculated. Dan and Jennifer dig into what's really going on with the Commander's Scrabble habit, a body on the wall marked with a mysterious "J," and an offer from Serena that could get everyone involved killed. This episode includes AI-voiced content, including our trusty fact-checking robot, Robot. Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter — we don't read ahead, so you're discovering the story with us. Things To Listen For: Robot fact-checks whether Handmaids wear corsets or restrictive clothing under their robes, and the real answer is somehow worse Dan and Jennifer try to work out what peyot are, and Robot shuts down the "braided hair" theory for good A full Secret Service codename detour, including Trump's real one and Robot's better suggestions The toilet-cleaning dare: Dan challenges listeners to skip cleaning theirs for two weeks and report back Serena Joy hands Offred a skein of wool to hold, then an offer that could end in a hanging Robot's closing log on hope, coercion, and what "but only maybe" is really built to do Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?This chapter's wall scene, where a body is marked only with a "J" and its meaning is left deliberately unclear, sits right on top of the book's religious persecution imagery, one of the exact reasons challengers cite when they call the book "offensive." Add in Serena Joy's proposal to break the law around adultery and reproduction, and you've got two of the most commonly flagged reasons for banning this book in one chapter. If this is your first episode, you're fine starting here. Our fact-checking Robot catches you up fast, then we read the next chapter (spoilers). Banworthy to Bingeworthy No promo swap this episode, but we always make room for the news. Good News for Lefties — Beowulf covers a Somerset County, Maryland school board that tried to lock young adult books away from almost every student in the district, and the appeal that says it violates both the First Amendment and the state's Freedom to Read Act. Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts Rate, review, and follow us on Apple Podcasts to help other scary book people find us! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-camp-banned-books-comedy-and-free-speech-vs/id1676866857 Disclaimer Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines. The material used from the book The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders, and we strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the book in its entirety. https://bookshop.org/a/20953/9780385490818 This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Margaret Atwood, her estate, or the publishers of The Handmaid's Tale. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed. Frequently Asked Questions Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned? The Handmaid's Tale has been challenged or banned in American schools and libraries every single year since its publication in 1985. It was the most challenged book in the United States in 2023. It has been targeted for profanity, sexually explicit content, and content deemed "offensive to Christians." But the deeper reason is that Margaret Atwood showed what happens when a government uses religion, tradition, and "protecting families" as justification for stripping women of their rights, their names, and their autonomy. That's the part that actually scares book banners, because it looks a lot like Tuesday. Is there a podcast that reads The Han