Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship
Love banned books? Hate censorship?
Same. You’re our kind of people.
Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books and try to figure out why they were banned in the first place.
Each season, we tackle a new banned book, reading it chapter by chapter and asking: What made someone clutch their pearls and scream, "BAN IT!"? (Spoiler: It’s rarely what you’d expect.) One thing is clear—the people banning these books often haven’t read them. While we uncover some eyebrow-raising moments, nothing truly justifies censorship.
Join us—and our listeners, "The Scary Book People"—as we explore the strange, hilarious, and sometimes baffling world of banned books.
Past seasons have featured classics like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and 1984 by George Orwell.
This season, we’re diving into Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It's a dystopia built on pleasure, not fear. People are engineered, drugged, and distracted into obedience, and they’re taught to love the system that controls them. It’s funny, creepy, and disturbingly familiar. And like all great banned books, it makes you question the world you're living in.
By reading these books, we ask big questions: Why are banned books important? What does “banned” mean? What does “challenged” mean? How do book bans affect students? Are book bans constitutional?
Come hang out with us and have some laughs while we dig into the drama behind banned books—you might even learn something cool along the way!
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 27 minutes
- Episodes
- 249
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Pt 3 Chapter 2 - Ari’s Alien Doctor and Dante’s Secrets
In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dive into Part 3, Chapter 2 of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Join them as they explore Ari’s fun…
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Pt 3 Chapter 1 - Hospital Drama and Morphine Moments
In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dive into Part 3, Chapter 1 of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. The chapter begins with Ari waking …
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Pt 2 Chapter 12 - When Rain and Realities Collide
In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dive into Chapter 12 of Part two of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. As Ari and Dante navigate the…
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Pt 2 Ch 10-11 - Hairy Problems and Hidden Pasts
Episode Summary: In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dive into chapters 10 and 11 of part 2 in "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Ari ref…
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Pt 2 Ch 8-9 - Understanding Parents
Episode Summary: In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dive into Chapters 8 and 9 of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. The discussion cent…
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Pt 2 Ch 5-7 - Border Dreams and Family Feels
Episode Summary: In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan read chapters 5 though 7 of Part 2 of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
As Ari batt…
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Pt 2 Ch 3-4 - Motherly Wisdom & Artistic Connections
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Pt 2 Ch 1-2 - Fever Dreams & Family Bonds
Episode Summary: In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan read Chapters 1 and 2 of Part 2 of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Aristotle batt…
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Chapter 12 - Poolside Philosophies and BB Gun Battles
Episode Summary: In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dive into Chapter 12 of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Ari and Dante's friendshi…
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Chapters 9-11 - Exploring Identity and Footwear Fascination
Episode Summary: In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dive into Chapters 9-11 of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe." The discussion touches on Ari and Dante's uniq…
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Chapters 5-8 - The Art of Growing Up
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan read chapters 5 to 8 of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. As Ari and Dante's friends…
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Chapter 4 - New Friendships and Old Insecurities
Episode Summary: In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan delve into Chapter 4 of "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Ari faces the discomfort …
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Chapters 1 through 3 - Summers, Secrets, and Hi Ho Silver
Episode Summary
In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan embark on their new season with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. They read chapters 1 …
A Wrinkle in Time | Chapter 12 - Darkness and Light: The Final Battle
Episode Summary:
In this dramatic finale of Banned Camp's season 5 exploring A Wrinkle in Time, Dan and Jennifer dive into the climactic chapter where Meg faces IT in a battle of wills. As Meg channel…
A Wrinkle in Time | Chapter 11 - A Dark Encounter: Meg's Mysterious Rescue
Episode Summary:
In this gripping installment of Banned Camp, Dan and Jennifer navigate through Chapter 11 of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. Amidst the chilling vastness of a strange planet, M…
A Wrinkle in Time | Chapter 10 - Tessering Isn't Fun: Meg's Frigid Journey!
Hey Scary Book People (that's what we call our AWESOME listeners)! Ready to dive into a chilly adventure? In today’s episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan explore Chapter 10 of "A Wrinkle in Time.…
A Wrinkle in Time | Chapter 9 - A Star's Sacrifice and Cosmic Courage
Episode Summary:
In this gripping episode of "Banned Camp," Jennifer and Dan read Chapter 9 of "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle. As Meg confronts the chilling entity known only as IT, the stak…
A Wrinkle in Time | Chapter 8 - The Conformity Battle Against 'IT'
Welcome back to Banned Camp, where we're diving deep into the eerie world of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. In this episode, Jennifer and Dan read chapter 8, taking us through a thrilling ex…
A Wrinkle in Time | Chapter 7 - The Sinister Central Intelligence
Episode Summary:
In this gripping episode, Dan and Jennifer dive into Chapter 7 of "A Wrinkle in Time," where Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace confront the daunting Central Central Intelligence on Kam…
A Wrinkle in Time | Chapter 6 (pt 2) - Rhythm and Rigidity
Episode Summary
In this engaging episode, Jennifer and Dan navigate through the eerily synchronized world of "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeline L'Engle. Dive into their journey as they dissect the mechan…