S7 Ep. 33: Polycules and Cuddle Piles: Brandy Jensen on the Mainstreaming of Polyamory

fiction/non/fiction

Writer Brandy Jensen joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about polyamory’s place in the contemporary imagination. Jensen discusses the connections between polyamory and politics, noting its links to queer community and its defiance of normative gender roles. She analyzes protections for the rights of multiple-partner relationships in Massachusetts, New York, and California. Jensen also considers the language of polyamory and how it has been portrayed in current and past literature, especially science fiction. She reads from her recent Yale Review article, “The Polycrisis.”

To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf.

Brandy Jensen

• “The Polycrisis” | Yale Review

Others:

• More: A Memoir of Open Marriage by Molly Roden Winter
• “On the Cover of New York: A Practical Guide to Polyamory,” by Priyanka Mantha | New York Magazine
• “Lessons From a 20-Person Polycule: How they set boundaries, navigate jealousy, wingman their spouses and foster community.” by Daniel Bergner | The New York Times Magazine
• “Polyamory, the Ruling Class’s Latest Fad,” by Tyler Austin Harper | The Atlantic
• “Scenes from an Open Marriage,” by Jean Garnett | The Paris Review |June 29, 2022
• Oneida Community
• Octavia Butler
• N.K. Jemisin
• Sally Rooney
• American Poly: A History by Christopher Gleason
• Couplets: A Love Story by Maggie Millner

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