New Books in Sex, Sexuality, and Sex Work

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Sexuality

Gender Studies

Queer Theory

Sexuality Studies

Sex Work

Human Trafficking

Psychoanalysis

Jane Austen

Colonialism

Feminism

Reproductive Rights

Soft-Porn Cinema

Virginity

Early Christianity

Marilyn Chambers

Pornography

Trans Studies

Prostitution

Radical Acts

Sexual Violence

This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

14 ratings

Publishes	Twice weekly	Episodes	498	Founded	5 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	Social SciencesBooksArtsScience

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Latest Episodes

Abigail Ocobock, "Marriage Material: How an Enduring Institution Is Changing Same-Sex Relationships" (U Chicago Press, 2024)

It is no secret that marriage rates in the United States are at an all-time low. Despite this significant decline, the institution of marriage endures in our society amid historic changes to its meaning and practice. How does the continuing strength ... more

21 Apr 2026 • 41 min

Alisa Kessel, "Rape Fantasies: Rape Culture and the Persistence of Sexual Violence" (Oxford UP, 2025)

Political theorist Alisa Kessel (University of Puget Sound) has an important and impressive new book, Rape Fantasies: Rape Culture and the Persistence of Sexual Violence. Kessel’s research grew out of her work on questions of consent and how consent ... more

16 Apr 2026 • 1 hr 13 min

Daphne A. Brooks, "Blackstar Rising and the Purple Reign: The Sonic Afterlives of David Bowie and Prince" (Duke UP, 2026)

Blackstar Rising and the Purple Reign: The Sonic Afterlives of David Bowie and Prince (Duke UP, 2026) is the first critical anthology dedicated to exploring the legacies of the pop music icons David Bowie and Prince. Daphne A. Brooks brings together ... more

14 Apr 2026 • 38 min

Leslie Barnes, "Sex Work in Southeast Asia: Scenes of Ambivalence in Literature and Film" (Edinburgh UP, 2025)

In Sex Work in Southeast Asia: Scenes of Ambivalence in Literature and Film (Edinburgh UP, 2025), Leslie Barnes examines the ambivalences that mark Southeast Asian sex industries under global imperialism. She explores the multi-layered subjectivities... more

7 Apr 2026 • 1 hr 22 min

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Recent Guests

Leslie Barnes

Associate Professor of French Studies at the Australian National University

Australian National University

Episode: Leslie Barnes, "Sex Work in Southeast Asia: Scenes of Ambivalence in Literature and Film" (Edinburgh UP, 2025)

Isabelle Held

Author of Atomic Bombshells, How Plastics Shaped Postwar Bodies

New York Historical Society (Mellon Foundation Fellow)

Episode: Isabelle Held, "Atomic Bombshells: How Plastics Shaped Postwar Bodies" (Duke UP, 2026)

Satya Shikha Chakraborty

Associate Professor in History at the College of New Jersey

College of New Jersey

Episode: Satya Shikha Chakraborty, "Colonial Caregivers: Ayahs and the Gendered History of Race and Caste in British India" (Cambridge UP, 2025)

Maud Bracke

Author of Reproductive Rights in Modern France, Feminism, Contraception, and Abortion, 1950 to 1980

University of Glasgow

Episode: Maud Anne Bracke, "Reproductive Rights in Modern France: Reproductive Rights in Modern France: Feminism, Contraception, and Abortion, 1950-1980 (Oxford UP, 2025)

Mattie Armstrong-Price

Assistant professor; author of Respectability on the Line

Fordham University

Episode: Mattie Armstrong-Price, "Respectability on the Line: Gender, Race, and Labor along British and Colonial Indian Railways" (U California Press, 2026)

Daniel Brook

Journalist and author of The Einstein of Sex, The Biography discussed

W. W. Norton & Co

Episode: Daniel Brook, "The Einstein of Sex: Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, Visionary of Weimar Berlin" (W. W. Norton & Co, 2025)

Mark Steinberg

Author and former professor specializing in urban history

Bloomsbury

Episode: Mark D. Steinberg, "Moral Storytelling in 1920s New York, Odessa, and Bombay: Sex, Crime, Violence, and Nightlife in the Modern City" (Bloomsbury, 2026)

Kong Pheng Pha

Interdisciplinary scholar and educator focusing on Hmong communities and queer theory.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Episode: Kong Pheng Pha, "Queering the Hmong Diaspora: Racial Subjectivity and the Myth of Hyperheterosexuality" (U Washington Press, 2025)

Dr. Lauren D. Sawyer

Professor of Theology and Culture at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology

Seattle School of Theology and Psychology

Episode: Lauren D. Sawyer, "Growing Up Pure: White Girls, Queer Teens, and the Racial Foundations of Purity Culture" (NYU Press, 2025)

Host

Dr. Miranda Melcher

Host of various series within the New Books Network, focusing on scholarly discussions.

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 14 ratings

Nope
I really liked some episodes which had some interviews with researchers and sex workers, but with the May 2023 episode with Mary Eberstadt, I’ve learned this podcast series is just as bad as the mainstream media
There is no sex worker solidarity without solidarity for trans people. If you’re reading this and thinking “well not everything is black and white, you just don’t want people to express their opinions freely”, please go educate yourself with some recent research on the current statistic... more
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TinaDeutschland
Canada3 years ago

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Some reviews highlight concerns about certain episodes' alignment with contemporary social issues, suggesting areas for improvement in addressing diverse perspectives.

Listeners appreciate the scholarly discussions and the depth of research presented in episodes, often praising the expert guests.

The podcast is recognized for bringing attention to important and often marginalized topics in sexuality studies, although not all discussions resonate with every listener's perspective.

Chart Rankings

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Apple Podcasts	#108	United States/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#80	United Kingdom/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#198	Canada/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#207	Italy/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#211	Australia/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#28	Ukraine/Science/Social Sciences

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Leslie Barnes, "Sex Work in Southeast Asia: Scenes of Ambivalence in Literature and Film" (Edinburgh UP, 2025)

Q: What is the overall argument of Sex Work in Southeast Asia?

She argues that discourses on sex work—from NGO narratives to policy debates—tend to rely on moral certainty and leave little room for nuance. By analyzing diverse forms of representation—fiction, documentary, and non-fiction—the book pushes readers to acknowledge ambivalence and to consider multiple, sometimes contradictory, perspectives without quickly labeling people as victims or villains.

Leslie Barnes, "Sex Work in Southeast Asia: Scenes of Ambivalence in Literature and Film" (Edinburgh UP, 2025)

Q: Before we get into this specific book, would you tell us about your general intellectual interests and how they led to this project?

Barnes describes her background in French and Francophone studies, with a workflow centered on close reading and a focus on Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia and Vietnam. She explains how her cross-disciplinary training in film, literature, gender studies, and colonial history shaped the project's aim to examine how sex work is represented across genres and how these representations interact with imperial legacies.

Satya Shikha Chakraborty, "Colonial Caregivers: Ayahs and the Gendered History of Race and Caste in British India" (Cambridge UP, 2025)

Q: How did the project begin and what ideas drew you to Ayahs as a research focus?

The project grew from a doctoral dissertation into a social history of Ayahs, integrating labor histories, feminist scholarship, and visual history to challenge the sentimentalized colonial archive and foreground the real lived experiences of Ayahs, including abuse, precarity, and resilience.

Maud Anne Bracke, "Reproductive Rights in Modern France: Reproductive Rights in Modern France: Feminism, Contraception, and Abortion, 1950-1980 (Oxford UP, 2025)

Q: What role did the MLF play in expanding reproductive liberty, and what limits did it face?

The MLF foregrounded women's bodily autonomy and self-determination, catalyzing public debate and shifting discourse, but it often faced limits in addressing overseas departments and in achieving comprehensive inclusivity for immigrant women within its broader feminist agenda.

Maud Anne Bracke, "Reproductive Rights in Modern France: Reproductive Rights in Modern France: Feminism, Contraception, and Abortion, 1950-1980 (Oxford UP, 2025)

Q: Could you tell us what you understand by reproductive citizenship and elaborate on its variation within France?

Reproductive citizenship is about how rights to contraception and abortion are distributed alongside responsibilities, with clear attention to how social inequality, race, class, and disability shape who can exercise these rights and how they are framed in policy and practice.

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What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This podcast primarily explores the intricacies of sex, sexuality, and sex work through the lens of scholarly research. Each episode features interviews with experts who discuss their recent publications, fostering a deeper understanding of various intersecting themes such as race, gender, and societal narratives surrounding sexuality. The discussions encapsulate a range of topics, including historical perspectives, cultural critiques, and contemporary challenges faced by marginalized communities. The blend of academic rigor with accessible conversation aims to illuminate pressing social issues while presenting diverse scholarly viewpoints, making this a unique resource for those interested in nuanced discussions about sexuality and sex wor... more

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2. Ordinary Unhappiness
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this podcast launched 5 years ago and published 498 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Leslie Barnes
2. Isabelle Held
3. Satya Shikha Chakraborty
4. Maud Bracke
5. Mattie Armstrong-Price
6. Daniel Brook
7. Mark Steinberg
8. Kong Pheng Pha

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