The United States is in the midst of one of the strongest waves of censorship and book-banning in our history. And nowhere is it stronger than across the South. This week, we talk to Fayetteville librarian and First Amendment advocate Molly Quinn about the fight to preserve the right to read in Arkansas. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has politicized the state’s library system, and a new law threatens criminal penalties against librarians.
We also take a look at the record-breaking heat that has baked our states throughout the summer and into mid-September. Last week’s highly unusual heat dome set temperature records from Dallas to Nashville, and Southerners find themselves increasingly hiding indoors during a season once celebrated for its decadent sticky days.
Plus: Artville returns to Nashville, making the case that there’s more to the Music City’s culture than music.
Show Notes:
Molly Quinn, the Memeing Librarian (Instagram)
Arkansas Right to Read Project
“Warmest Summer on Record for the Contiguous U.S.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
“The Summer We Love Is Slipping Away” Grist
“Historical U.S. Electricity Rates (1990–2026)” Electric Choice
“Data Center Power Demands Are Contributing to Higher Energy Bills” Environmental and Energy Study Institute
“21 Students Hospitalized, Including 3 in Critical Condition, After Potential Bomb Threat at Tennessee Middle School” People Magazine
“Greenhouse Gas Standards and Guidelines for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Artville (Nashville)
“Finding Artville in Nashville” Whitehot Magazine