Barred Books Thu, 14 May 2026 10:05:13 -0400 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2602280 en-us © 2026 Barred Books yes eb47685f-42f1-58f1-ac77-6f548c0b6510 Frozen Shoulder Productions episodic true Barred Books combines banned books, cocktails, and conversation into one delightfully chaotic mix. Join us!

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Frozen Shoulder Productions https://storage.buzzsprout.com/5pdk91gh4y56xxttpvjkvaatl12q?.jpg Barred Books Parable of the Sower Parable of the Sower Hey everyone! In this episode, we brought in distinguished Afrofuturist, author, teacher, mentor, and community organizer Maurice Broaddus to discuss Octavia E. Butler's 1993 novel Parable of the Sower. Set in the years 2024-2027, it's an eerily prescient look at the effects of late-stage capitalism on the American populace. It should be required reading, but it has a Black protagonist and dares to question American Exceptionalism, so, you know. It gets banned a lot instead. 

Originally we paired this discussion with this cocktail from This is Mold, but it wasn't the best drink we've ever had, so Friend of the Podcast Ambrosia Borowski crafted a replacement. We're calling the The Sower because we're super creative like that. 

The Sower

1-1/2 oz tequila

1 oz frangelico

1/2 oz lemon juice

3 dashes black walnut bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice until chilled and pour into a chilled glass. Enjoy as you contemplate the state of the world and what part you'll play in a more hopeful future. 

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news music by Squidems -- https://freesound.org/s/709973/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

]]> Hey everyone! In this episode, we brought in distinguished Afrofuturist, author, teacher, mentor, and community organizer Maurice Broaddus to discuss Octavia E. Butler's 1993 novel Parable of the Sower. Set in the years 2024-2027, it's an eerily prescient look at the effects of late-stage capitalism on the American populace. It should be required reading, but it has a Black protagonist and dares to question American Exceptionalism, so, you know. It gets banned a lot instead. 

Originally we paired this discussion with this cocktail from This is Mold, but it wasn't the best drink we've ever had, so Friend of the Podcast Ambrosia Borowski crafted a replacement. We're calling the The Sower because we're super creative like that. 

The Sower

1-1/2 oz tequila

1 oz frangelico

1/2 oz lemon juice

3 dashes black walnut bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice until chilled and pour into a chilled glass. Enjoy as you contemplate the state of the world and what part you'll play in a more hopeful future. 

-----

news music by Squidems -- https://freesound.org/s/709973/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

]]> Frozen Shoulder Productions Buzzsprout-19159199 Thu, 14 May 2026 09:00:00 -0500 3115 1 3 full true Slaughterhouse Five Slaughterhouse Five Hello book lovers and fascism haters! Today's Barred Book Episode features host Kelly Swails and guest Bryan Young discussing the classic book Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The author mentions Irish Whiskey in the first chapter, and since both Bryan and Kelly are writers, we paired this discussion with Writer's Tears. Cheers! 

]]> Hello book lovers and fascism haters! Today's Barred Book Episode features host Kelly Swails and guest Bryan Young discussing the classic book Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The author mentions Irish Whiskey in the first chapter, and since both Bryan and Kelly are writers, we paired this discussion with Writer's Tears. Cheers! 

]]> Frozen Shoulder Productions Buzzsprout-19071228 Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0500 3488 1 2 full true The Handmaid's Tale The Handmaid's Tale In this episode, Susan J. Morris and host Kelly Swails sip on Margaret Atwoods while discussing the ever-more-relevant The Handmaid's Tale. Get ready for some feminist rage! If you'd like to drink along with us, this cocktail is from Jennifer Croll's book Free the Tipple. I did not have a Collins glass handy so I skipped the ice and used a flute. Also, no garnish, because really, snapdragons in this economy?

1-1/2 ounces light rum

1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur

1 ounce pomegranate juice

1 ounce lime juice

1 ounce apple juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice and garnish with a snapdragon.

]]> In this episode, Susan J. Morris and host Kelly Swails sip on Margaret Atwoods while discussing the ever-more-relevant The Handmaid's Tale. Get ready for some feminist rage! If you'd like to drink along with us, this cocktail is from Jennifer Croll's book Free the Tipple. I did not have a Collins glass handy so I skipped the ice and used a flute. Also, no garnish, because really, snapdragons in this economy?

1-1/2 ounces light rum

1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur

1 ounce pomegranate juice

1 ounce lime juice

1 ounce apple juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice and garnish with a snapdragon.

]]> Frozen Shoulder Productions Buzzsprout-18908168 Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0500 4714 1 1 full true