SPEW: Serious Potter in an Everyday World
Brothers Seth Quam and Justin Quam discuss their love of Harry Potter and what we can learn from the HP universe in social justice struggles.
Episodes
April 19, 2021 • 47 mins
Seth and Justin continue their previous conversation about reconciliation, and discuss what the process may have looked like to begin to heal as a society after Voldermort was defeated.
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February 27, 2021 • 55 mins
Seth and Justin are joined by Seth's bestie Sam Scully to answer the question -- Why don't they just kick all the Slytherins out? Diversions include patronuses, sea shanties, and licking eyeballs.
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February 4, 2021 • 60 mins
Seth and Justin are joined by their cousin Laura Herbers to discuss the impact of J.K. Rowling's transphobia and how that has changed. their relationship with the Harry Potter universe.
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June 26, 2020 • 51 mins
For this episode, Seth and Justin are joined by Jack Rothmund to discuss Justin's favorite HP character and whether or not it makes sense to draw a corollary between werewolves and people who are HIV positive. Jack also offers information about his work, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, ways to get involved, and the Illinois HIV Action Alliance (IHAA).
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March 23, 2020 • 63 mins
In this fun bonus edition of SPEW, all three Quam siblings get together (virtually) to pick their ideal Hogwarts staff, with a few added wrinkles! To view the final results AFTER you listen, here's the link to our Google Sheet we were working off of: https://docs.google.com/…/12a4l3sRH__l67U3RAjahZqS9sp…/edit…
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March 16, 2020 • 68 mins
Seth and Justin take a deep dive into masculinity in Harry Potter, with a particular focus on the Weasley family! They discuss tropes of masculinity and how male characters in HP exemplify or subvert toxic masculinity.
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January 28, 2020 • 41 mins
Brothers Justin and Seth are joined by a SPEW favorite, their sister Cassandra! The three siblings discuss correlations between magical creatures in the Harry Potter world and marginalized communities in our world!
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December 27, 2019 • 49 mins
Brothers Seth and Justin discuss Hagrid's pivotal role in the Sorcerer's Stone, colonialism in Harry Potter, and the JK Rowling's recent transphobic tweet.
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October 11, 2019 • 46 mins
Seth and Justin discuss the parallels between black feminist activist Assata Shakur and a beloved Harry Potter character, and Seth interviews his friend Justin Brooks about his activism in law school and his trip to Cuba.
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April 24, 2019 • 51 mins
Justin and Seth are joined by their good friend Jimmy Rothschild to talk about antisemitism in Harry Potter and the recent news stories regarding Representative Ilhan Omar.
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March 5, 2019 • 43 mins
Brothers Seth and Justin are back to discuss two "emergencies" in the news recently, including Trump's attempt to force through construction of the border wall and Senator Dianne Feinstein's patronizing comments to some young activists. Be sure to listen to find out how all this relates to Harry Potter!
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January 20, 2019 • 43 mins
In this edition of SPEW, Seth and Justin are joined by Katie Bowers from the Harry Potter alliance to discuss Hermione's evolution as an activist and the HPA's #WizardsProtectDemocracy initiative. Plus, it's the debut of our intro music thanks to Alex Shenkman!
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November 6, 2018 • 35 mins
After a brief discussion about how Harry Potter teaches us to speak truth to power, Seth and Justin are joined by incredible author, artist, gender theorist, and Harry Potter fan Kate Bornstein! .
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November 1, 2018 • 41 mins
In the aftermath of the Kavanaugh sexual assault hearing, Seth and Justin Quam discuss what insights can be gleaned from Harry Potter in order to prevent sexual violence and cultivate healthy masculinity.
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October 6, 2018 • 54 mins
We’re back! After a bit of a break, brothers Seth and Justin Quam discuss an anonymous New York Times Op-Ed about a certain kind of resistance within the Trump administration and the merits of working within a corrupt organization and trying to destroy it from the inside (think Arthur Weasley) vs. fighting from the outside (like Harry Potter).
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July 29, 2018 • 39 mins
Nomadic family friend Christina Castelli joins brothers Seth and Justin to discuss what corollaries we can (or cannot) make between the marginalization of goblins in Harry Potter and the continued oppression of minority communities in our world.
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June 3, 2018 • 48 mins
In this episode of SPEW, Seth and Justin are once again joined by their beloved sister Cassandra. The three siblings discuss what we can learn from Harry Potter in the debate on gun control, discuss the Muggle-Born Registration Committee, and Seth sidesteps questions about his deep-seated feelings about Professor Vector.
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April 20, 2018 • 46 mins
In this episode of SPEW, Seth and Justin are joined by their good friends Johanna and Jimmy to discuss what Harry Potter can teach us about how to practice self-care and sustain activism throughout exhausting times.
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January 24, 2018 • 55 mins
Justin and Seth Quam are joined by their Chicago high school teacher friend Julia Davidson to talk about teaching in the era of Trump, Hogwarts pedagogy, and the house sorting system.
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December 31, 2017 • 43 mins
In this edition of S.P.E.W., Seth and Justin are joined by their sister Cassandra and the three siblings dive into an examination of the Patronus.
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