Show Notes
It’s fall and we are ready to get in a spooky Halloween mood. In this episode we interview the delightful duo Shannon Watters and Branden Boyer-White, co-creators of the YA Graphic Novel series Hollow. The books are beautifully illustrated by Berenice Nelle and take place in Sleepy Hollow where a group of teens discover the secret of the Headless Horseman. The first book, Hollow, was published in 2022, and the second, Woman in White, on July 30, 2025. Shannon Watters is the co-creator and co-writer of the award-winning hit comic book series Lumberjanes. She is also a former senior editor and the former head of the BOOM! Box line at BOOM! Studios, the imprint behind critically acclaimed comics and graphic novels like Giant Days, Lumberjanes, Fence, Goldie Vance, Heavy Vinyl, and many others. Branden Boyer-White is an award-winning fiction writer whose work has appeared in print and online in numerous publications. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Arizona State University, and Hollow was her first venture into graphic storytelling. She re-reads The Legend of Sleepy Hollow every Halloween. They can be found at their respective Instagram accounts @shanito and @bboyerwhite and at brandenboyerwhite.com and shannonwatters.com. Shannon named the The Babysitters Club, by Ann M. Martin and Bone, a series of graphic novels by Jeff Smith, as early influences. Branden showed her spooky cred early citing Goosebumps by R.L. Stine as a major influence on her journey to becoming a writer. Also mentioned in the interview are the Rabbit Ears Version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the novelist (and friend of the authors) Adrienne Celt.
More from Rogue Librarians
When you’re fighting censorship, the goal isn’t just to say “this is bad.” It’s to make sure kids can still find the books, the stories, and themselves. In our conversation with authors Ashley Hope Pérez and Elana K. Arnold, we talk about how the anthology Banned Together helps librarians, teachers, readers, and writers stand up for the freedom to read—and build community along the way. What are you protecting right now: a book, a voice, or a space? The following things came up during our discussion. Rogue Librarians Episode 10. Out of Darkness: Interview with Ashley Hope Pérez
Week, schmeek, we’re celebrating Banned Books Month and our freedom to read throughout October. This week we talk with author and poet Amber McBride about her novel in verse, The Leaving Room, which turns big questions about death, story, and spirit into something tender and human. Our conversation ranges from books and storytelling to censorship and the comfort literature can offer young readers. Amber reminds us that reading can be joy, resistance, and freedom all at once. And yes — the freedom to choose what we read matters more than ever. We are not saying read everything. We are saying people should have access, choice, and context. That distinction changes everything. You can find Amber McBride at amber-mcbride.com and on Instagram, Tiktok, and Threads @ambsmcbride Books and media we discussed during our conversation include: Tar Beach, by Faith Ringgold
Join us as we kick off our celebration of banned books week and our freedom to read. We welcomed back our friend Sam Helmick, the immediate past president of the American Library Association, to discuss Susan Orlean’s marvelous book, The Library Book. During our discussion, we brought up a few prior episodes of Rogue Librarians, including: Episode 17. The Librarian of Basra (Part 1: Why It's Banned) Episode 18. The Librarian of Basra (Part 2: Close Reading) Episode 54. Fahrenheit 451 (Part 1: Why It’s Banned Episode 53. Fahrenheit 451 (Part 2 : Close Reading)
In this episode we welcome back our friend, Rogue name Undine, for a close reading of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. We decided to give this book the Sacred Reading treatment introduced to us by the incredible podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. We used the practice of Lectio Divinia and modeled our discussion after the “sacred reading” format used by Casper ter Kuile, Vanessa Zoltan and Matthew Potts in their podcast. Here is the link to their webpage, which explains the process in more detail. Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
Welcome to season 5 of The Rogue Librarians! We are opening with a discussion of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Published in 1986, this dystopian tale of a religious revolution in the U.S. only seems to get more relevant with time. In Part 1 we learn a little about the history of the book and of course, why it’s been banned. We are joined by a special guest, Rogue name Undine, who brings insight and art history to the conversation. Materials discussed during the podcast include: In Banned Bits: Article Why This School District Used A.I. to Help Determine Which Books to Ban, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Aug 2023.