On this month’s episode of the Deerfield Public Library Podcast, we are very happy to welcome our guests Sarah MacLean and Jen Prokop, hosts of the romance literature podcast, Fated Mates.
Sarah MacLean is a bestselling author of historical romance novels and Jen Prokop is a romance critic and teacher. Together on the Fated Mates podcast, they have some of the most intellectually stimulating and joyful conversations about what romance does and why it’s important.
Sarah and Jen are both advocates of reading for pleasure, as well as issues of representation and equity in the romance literature world. We discuss the unique features of the genre, including its ability to respond quickly to world events, to center marginalized voices, and that complicated thing of imagining a different and better world.
And get a pencil–you’ll hear tons of great recommendations. Skeptics and non-romance readers are welcome!
You can check out books by Sarah MacLean in many formats here at the library. Her newest novel, Daring and the Duke, comes out June 30. We’ve also tagged some of the many books Sarah and Jen recommended on this episode in our catalog, check out the list here.
We also acknowledge in this episode that we are having this conversation at a difficult time. Mentioned in the episode is our Library Director’s statement on inclusion and diversity, as well as our lists of resources on antiracism and Black Lives Matter and our series on the fight over integration in Deerfield.
We hope you enjoy our 39th episode. Each month we release an episode featuring a conversation with a notable guest, including authors, artists, and leaders from Deerfield, Chicagoland, and the world. Learn more about the podcast on our podcast page.
You can listen to all of our episodes in the player below or on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. We welcome your comments and feedback—please send to podcast@deerfieldlibrary.org.
