milk and honey Part 1: Why It’s Banned

In this episode we discover why Rupi Kaur’s book of poetry, milk and honey, consistently makes lists of banned books. Kaur self-published milk and honey in November of 2014 and it was later picked up by publisher Andrews McMeel. According to their web site, the book spent more than three years on the New York Times bestseller list. It’s been published in over 40 languages and has sold over 6 million copies globally. The magazine, The New Republic, named Rupi Kaur the “writer of the decade.”

milk and honey has been targeted by book banners, particularly in Missouri and Texas, due to its exploration of themes like love, trauma, and sexual assault. Primarily, the book has been challenged in school libraries. Some parents and some officials claim concern about discussions of sexual assault in the book.

Our Banned Bits segment features the book Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights, By Ashley Hope Perez, here is a link to our Bookshop.org store, and because that link wasn’t working I was writing this, here is one from Barnes & Noble.

Check out our interviews with two of the book’s contributors:

Rogue Librarians – Bonus: Alana K. Arnold , 11/21/23

Rogue Librarians – Out of Darkness: Interview With Ashley Hope Perez, 2/28/2023,

For More information on Rupi Kaur, you can visit her web site at rupikaur.com or check out her instagram @rupikaur_

Hold on, Sam Helmick is coming. In this episode of Rogue Librarians, we speak with Sam Helmick, president-elect of the American Library Association, for a second time. We explore the many challenges facing libraries, the upcoming ALA Annual Conference, and ways you can advocate for your library.

Here are links to some things we talk about in the interview:

Stand Up For Libraries: an ALA program where you can donate to support libraries.

Show Up For Libraries: an ALA web page that suggests ways to advocate for your local library.

Free People Read Freely Summit: an event that took place at the Library of Congress in September of 2024.

The Waking: a poem by Theodore Roethke

Literal: a poem by Ani DiFranco which you can find in her book Verses.

Hold On, I’m Coming: a song by Sam and Dave

Banned Together, edited by Ashley Hope Perez

Let them, by Mel Robbins

milk and honey, by Rupi Kaur

Sam Helmick’s contact information:

@geometric rabbit or @shelmick on Instagram

@samhelmick on Bluesky

@samhelmick on Facebook

“I wake to sleep and take my waking slow

I learn by going where I have to go”

~Theodore Roethke

In this episode, we do a close reading of Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Mist and Fury.

We discuss our personal histories with romance novels, the evolution of romantic tropes, and the implications of freedom and control in relationships as depicted in the book. We explore themes such as patriarchy, agency, empowerment, consent, and sexuality within the context of the story.