Jeana Jorgensen, "Sex Education 101: Approachable Essays on Folklore, Culture, & History" (Fox Folk Press, 2023)

Jeana Jorgensen, "Sex Education 101: Approachable Essays on Folklore, Culture, & History" (Fox Folk Press, 2023)

Author: Marshall Poe August 17, 2026 Duration: 40:48
Do you look back at your sex ed classes and wonder WTF?! Are you a parent looking at your kid’s curriculum and asking the same question? Sex Education 101: Approachable Essays on Folklore, Culture, & History (Fox Folk Press, 2023) is less of a how-to of sex education and more of a why. Why does abstinence-only sex ed receive so much federal funding? Why do instructors show gross images of STIs to scare students? The answers, believe it or not, have a lot to do with folklore. Folklore—informally transmitted traditional culture—has a lot to say about sex. And it is often people’s first point of contact with information and messages about sex. Folklore encompasses urban legends, moral panics, and rumors, which influenced early U.S. policies around sex, and also includes jokes, raunchy folk songs, and beliefs and slang about menstruation or STIs. And thus, folklore shapes sex ed classrooms and school sex ed policies. Jeana Jorgensen earned her PhD in folklore at Indiana University. She is a lecturer in anthropology at Butler University and part of the editorial team at Marvel's & Tales. Her books include Folklore 101 (2021), Fairy Tales 101 (2022), and Sex Education 101 (2023), and her work has appeared in the Journal of American Folklore, Fabula, Journal of Folklore Research, and elsewhere. Rachel Hopkin PhD is a folklorist and audio producer. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/folkore

Hosted by Marshall Poe, New Books in Folklore is part of a much larger academic conversation happening across the New Books Network, a sprawling audio library built for the curious public. This particular channel focuses on the stories, traditions, and beliefs that cultures weave into their daily lives. Each episode features an in-depth conversation where an author discusses their newly published work on folklore with a knowledgeable interviewer, delving into the research and ideas behind the book. You’ll hear about everything from contemporary legends and digital storytelling to ancient myths and material culture, all explored with scholarly depth and genuine curiosity. It’s a space where academic work becomes accessible, moving beyond the journal article or monograph into a lively, direct exchange. For anyone fascinated by why we tell tales, how traditions evolve, or what our shared rituals reveal about us, this podcast offers a front-row seat to the latest scholarship. The broader network, with its many specialized channels, underscores a commitment to making expert knowledge freely available. Tuning in provides a unique form of continuing education, one thoughtful discussion at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

New Books in Folklore
Podcast Episodes
Francis Young, "Fairies: A History" (John Wiley & Sons, 2026) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:40
Many people think they know what fairies are, what a fairy looks like, and how a fairy is expected to behave. Dr. Francis Young's Fairies: A History (Polity, 2026) demonstrates that the truth about belief in fairies is f…
Jessica Campbell, "The Brontës and the Fairy Tale" (Ohio UP, 2024) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:50
The Brontës and the Fairy Tale (Ohio UP, 2024) by Dr. Jessica Campbell is the first comprehensive study devoted to the role of fairy tales and folklore in the work of Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell Brontë. It inter…