Listen "#198: Between the Sheets and In the Streets"
Episode Synopsis
In March 2018, the Oxford philosopher Amia Srinivasan wrote a provocative essay for the London Review of Books asking, “Does anyone have the right to sex?” Three years later, the essay forms the backbone of a bold new collection that probes the complexity of sex as private and political act, moving beyond the simplicity of yes and no and the hashtags of #girlboss feminism. Srinivasan joins the podcast to discuss the ideas that animate The Right to Sex, whether it’s pornography and freedom, rape and racial injustice, punishment and accountability, or pleasure and power.Go beyond the episode:Amia Srinivasan’s The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First CenturyRead the essay that started it all: “Does anyone have the right to sex?”Relatedly, her essay on pronouns: “He, She, One, They, Ho, Hus, Hum, Ita”How many other philosophers have been profiled by Vogue?Smarty Pants is no stranger to feminism: listen to our episodes on feminist book collecting, rock criticism, war, science, and religionListen to historian Scott Stern on the origins of criminalizing sex work, and read his essay, “Sex Workers of the World United”Tune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More episodes of the podcast Smarty Pants
For the Love of Foraging
17/10/2025
From Sofia to Chicago
03/10/2025
Why the Bronx Burned
12/09/2025
What Lies Beneath the Levee Camp Holler
29/08/2025
The Art of *Doing* Politics
15/08/2025
The Linguistics of Brain Rot
25/07/2025
Michael Douglas Explains It All
11/07/2025
Once in a Lifetime
27/06/2025
Family Values
13/06/2025
Lingua Obscura
23/05/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.