Welcome to It’s Lit! [Unabridged], the sister podcast to the popular YouTube series It’s Lit!. Hosted by Princess Weekes, this 10-episode podcast spinoff will feature lively conversations with noted authors about their work, discussions about influential novels, and issues related to books and literature. It’s Lit! [Unabridged] delivers the conversations you want to have during your book club, but without having to actually sign up for one.Credits:Host, Writer + Producer - Princess WeekesExecutive Producer - Amanda FoxCoordinating Producers - Stephanie Noone, Thomas FernandesSound Edit + Mix - Crutch Phrase StudioFact Checker - Yvonne McGreevyMusic provided by APMFor PBS:Executive in Charge: Maribel LopezDirector of Programming: Gabrielle EwingThe It’s Lit Podcast has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.It’s Lit! [Unabridged] is produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.© 2022 PBS. All rights reserved.

Princess discusses memoir writing and the importance of book clubs with author and founder of the Well Read Black Girl book club and podcast, Glory Edim.

Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Princess discusses memoir writing and the importance of book clubs with author and founder of the Well Read Black Girl book club and podcast, Glory Edim.
Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Glory Edim and Princess talk about memoir writing, literature that speaks to black women, and the importance of cook clubs.

The Vital Importance of Book Clubs with Glory Edim

Author and academic Sarah Raughley joins the podcast to chat with Princess about young adult literature and the importance of celebrating Black authors.

Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Author and academic Sarah Raughley joins the podcast to chat with Princess about young adult literature and the importance of celebrating Black authors.
Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Author Sarah Raughley joins Princess in a celebratory discussion about the importance of Black authorship.

Celebrating Black Authors with Sarah Raughley

Astrophysicist, folklorist, &amp; science communicator Dr. Moiya McTier joins Princess in a discussion about the ins and outs of world-building in science fiction and fantasy - when it works best and why - and how it affects readers in the real world.

Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Astrophysicist, folklorist, & science communicator Dr. Moiya McTier joins Princess in a discussion about the ins and outs of world-building in science fiction and fantasy - when it works best and why - and how it affects readers in the real world.
Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Dr. Moiya McTier joins the podcast to chat about world-building in sci-fi and fantasy.

World-building in Sci-fi and Fantasy with Dr. Moiya McTier

Australian novelist and podcaster Freya Marske joins Princess to talk about queer romance, fan fiction &amp; fantasy, and the positioning of the romance genre within modern literature.

Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Australian novelist and podcaster Freya Marske joins Princess to talk about queer romance, fan fiction & fantasy, and the positioning of the romance genre within modern literature.
Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Queer romance, fan fiction, and analyzing the mainstream with Australian novelist and podcaster Freya Marske. 

Queer Romance in Modern Fiction with Freya Marske

In this episode, we’re diving into how young adult literature, once criticized for not being diverse enough, has now become the place where representation and diversity are (mostly) thriving.

Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

In this episode, we’re diving into how young adult literature, once criticized for not being diverse enough, has now become the place where representation and diversity are (mostly) thriving.
Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Author Mark Oshiro joins the podcast to talk about the impact of diversity in young adult literature.

The Importance of Diverse Young Adult Fiction with Mark Oshiro

Speaking about how comics and other visual/text mediums like comics have allowed people to see themselves in stories. Also, how it can be a useful tool for people who have a harder time reading traditional books.

Writer V.E. Schwab joins the podcast to talk with Princess about the impact of graphic novels and other illustrated texts.

Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Speaking about how comics and other visual/text mediums like comics have allowed people to see themselves in stories. Also, how it can be a useful tool for people who have a harder time reading traditional books.
Writer V.E. Schwab joins the podcast to talk with Princess about the impact of graphic novels and other illustrated texts.
Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Writer V.E. Schwab joins the podcast to talk with Princess about the impact of graphic novels and other illustrated text.

Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga with V.E. Schwab

Breaking down the fantasy genre and how its roots in an often Western vision of “the past” has been slowly changing with Afro-Futurism and more mainstream BIPOC actors.

Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Breaking down the fantasy genre and how its roots in an often Western vision of “the past” has been slowly changing with Afro-Futurism and more mainstream BIPOC actors.
Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Writer Alix E. Harrow joins Princess in a discussion of how science fiction and fantasy writing is changing as cultures grow more visibly diverse.

Fantasy, Science Fiction and Journeying into the Past with Alix E. Harrow

Since performance was a thing, crafting adaptations of beloved and epic stories has been a part of storytelling. The highest grossing film of all time, Gone with the Wind is an adaptation and the amount of Jane Austen adaptations could fill a whole textbook (and probably has). Today we are gonna talk about book adaptations. What makes a good one, a bad one, and what impact the big screen has had on the novel itself. Especially when only certain kinds of books get adapted.

Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Since performance was a thing, crafting adaptations of beloved and epic stories has been a part of storytelling. The highest grossing film of all time, Gone with the Wind is an adaptation and the amount of Jane Austen adaptations could fill a whole textbook (and probably has). Today we are gonna talk about book adaptations. What makes a good one, a bad one, and what impact the big screen has had on the novel itself. Especially when only certain kinds of books get adapted.
Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Izzy and Princess talk about film adaptations of books - when it works, when it doesn't - and why.

Book to Film Adaptations with Izzy from Be Kind Rewind

The Western literary canon is a subject of discourse. Where does it fit in the modern world? While the works of Shakespeare, Plato, and Jane Austen, among others, are important works that have been the framework of our collective literary heritage, how does that impact those kept traditionally left out of those conversations? Marginalized voices have advocated for reimagining these stories to make them more diverse, expanding the canon to be more inclusive and/or just chucking the idea of a “western canon” in general.

Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

The Western literary canon is a subject of discourse. Where does it fit in the modern world? While the works of Shakespeare, Plato, and Jane Austen, among others, are important works that have been the framework of our collective literary heritage, how does that impact those kept traditionally left out of those conversations? Marginalized voices have advocated for reimagining these stories to make them more diverse, expanding the canon to be more inclusive and/or just chucking the idea of a “western canon” in general.
Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Author Ibi Zoboi talks about the relatability of the "Western Canon" to younger, more diverse readers.

Do the Classics Fail Us? With Ibi Ziboi

Throughout history, Black voices have been outspoken about the institutional oppression they have faced. From the slave narratives like those of Mary Prince, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Jacobs white audiences were given a glimpse into the emotional, physical, and psychological horrors of enslavement. Authors like Frances Harper tackled the rebuilding of the Black family in books like Iola Leroy. In the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance created an entire generation of Black American and Caribbean American authors who gave voice to the new burdens that racist society held for freed Blacks. We also began to see Black female authors speak more openly about the double oppression of gender and race. Ida B Wells-Barnett, was one of the most influential Black journalists of her time, and still today, with her reporting on lynching in the American south. Literature is filled with Black rage, Black pain, but also Black hope for a future in which their descendants will not have to march for the same rights we fight for in the present. Today we are going to talk about verbalizing Black rage, especially that of Black women and Black queer folk, and what we gain today by looking closely at the literary history of the Black revolution.

Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Throughout history, Black voices have been outspoken about the institutional oppression they have faced. From the slave narratives like those of Mary Prince, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Jacobs white audiences were given a glimpse into the emotional, physical, and psychological horrors of enslavement. Authors like Frances Harper tackled the rebuilding of the Black family in books like Iola Leroy. In the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance created an entire generation of Black American and Caribbean American authors who gave voice to the new burdens that racist society held for freed Blacks. We also began to see Black female authors speak more openly about the double oppression of gender and race. Ida B Wells-Barnett, was one of the most influential Black journalists of her time, and still today, with her reporting on lynching in the American south. Literature is filled with Black rage, Black pain, but also Black hope for a future in which their descendants will not have to march for the same rights we fight for in the present. Today we are going to talk about verbalizing Black rage, especially that of Black women and Black queer folk, and what we gain today by looking closely at the literary history of the Black revolution.
Unabridged is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Democracy demands wisdom.

Author and Activist Mikki Kendall joins us in a discussion about the complex history of Black voices in literature.

Hope and Rage in Black Literature with Mikki Kendall

From romance to diversity in science fiction and fantasy the goal is to not only expand the exploration of literature for a whole new audience, but to give amplification to authors doing progressive work. Hosted by Princess Weekes, It’s Lit! [Unabridged] is for book lovers and book skeptics alike.

From romance to diversity in science fiction and fantasy the goal is to not only expand the exploration of literature for a whole new audience, but to give amplification to authors doing progressive work. Hosted by Princess Weekes, It’s Lit! [Unabridged] is for book lovers and book skeptics alike.