14: Martin Luther King Jr.’s  “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”

14: Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”

Author: Jennifer Taub & Politicon LLC February 26, 2023 Duration: 1:19:48
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” To help honor Black History Month at Booked Up, for our February book club we are discussing the letter Martin Luther King Jr. composed in April of  1963 from his jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama. Joining me are two regulars and two special guests. We have book club regulars, conservative attorney George Conway and book publicist Ivan Lett and special guests Bridgette Baldwin and Jonathan Metzl.

Professor Baldwin teaches courses including Critical Race Theory and criminal law at Western New England University School of Law. Her scholarly work has examined the intersection of the Ninth Amendment and social movements, as well as, the convergence of race, class and gender on welfare reform legislation. 

Professor Metzl is the author of several books including most recently the acclaimed Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland. During the podcast he also mentioned The Protest Psychosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black Disease. He is the Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry, and the director of the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society, at Vanderbilt University.


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Get More from Book Club Members

Bridgette Baldwin
Facebook | Website | Author of WISCONSIN WORKS?

George Conway
Twitter | On Morning Joe | Author of Atlantic article Unfit for Office

Ivan Lett
Twitter | Website | Author of HAARLEM REBORN

Jonathan Metzl
Twitter | Website | Author of DYING OF WHITENESS and THE PROTEST PSYCHOSIS among others 

Get More from Jen Taub:
Twitter | Website | Author of BIG DIRTY MONEY 

For anyone who’s ever finished a great book and immediately wanted to dissect it with a smart friend, Booked Up with Jen Taub is that conversation. Hosted by author and legal commentator Jennifer Taub, this podcast digs into the ideas, arguments, and narratives shaping our world, all through the lens of what we’re reading. It’s less a formal book review and more a lively, critical exploration. Episodes weave together themes from politics, culture, and current events, treating books as vital source material for understanding the bigger picture. You’ll hear Taub’s insightful commentary and analysis, often drawing connections between an author’s work and the real-world issues it illuminates. The discussion feels urgent and relevant, whether tackling a new release or a classic with renewed significance. Listening to this podcast is like joining a book club where the conversation is always sharp, informed, and unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom. It’s for readers, thinkers, and anyone curious about the power of stories to explain our complicated present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Booked Up with Jen Taub
Podcast Episodes
59: Sgt. Aquillino Gonell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Today nearly three years after the attack on the US Capitol my guest is American hero, Aquillino Gonell, author of the new book American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy. You know Staff Sergeant Gone…
58: Norman Lear: Even This I Get to Experience [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Duration: 1:02:47
Rob Verchick, author of the award-winning new book, The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience is Jen’s guest today. Why this unusual title? As he describes: “One morning in Miami Beach, an unexpect…
55: Chuck Collins on ALTAR TO AN ERUPTING SUN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:05
Chuck Collins, author of several works of nonfiction including The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions is Jen’s guest today. They mostly discuss his debut novel, Altar to an Erupting Sun, a n…
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Duration: 1:07:26
Today Jen’s guest is Orly Lobel, author of the recent book THE EQUALITY MACHINE: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future. Orly just sold the film rights to her book on Barbie to CBS Studios. T…
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Duration: 1:03:12
For our special book club episode today, we are discussing the new bestselling memoir – THE WOMAN IN ME by pop icon Britney Spears. As you know, Britney is a multiplatinum, Grammy-Award winning entertainer. She has sold…
52: Taylor Lorenz is EXTREMELY ONLINE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:40
Today Jen’s guest is Taylor Lorenz, author of the new book, Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet. Together they discussed many topics including the controversy around mommy blo…
51: Andrea Chalupa on DICTATORSHIP IS EASY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:23
Today Jen’s guest is journalist, filmmaker, author, and activist Andrea Chalupa. You know Andrea from her award-winning podcast Gaslit Nation that she founded with Sarah Kendzior. Fake populism. Demonizing the press. Sca…
50: Illeana Douglas on CONNECTICUT IN THE MOVIES [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:01
Film star Illeana Douglas is Jen’s guest today. Ileana is the author of the gorgeous new book: Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia. This spans around 100 years from the silent film era up throug…