April “Counterspeak” Episode Available for Download

The April episode of Counterspeak, the monthly podcast of the American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE), is available for download on BookWeb, Spotify, and iTunes. This installment features interviews with Columbia University President and First Amendment legal scholar Lee Bollinger as well as with Will Creeley, the Director of Legal and Public Advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) — and a former Talking Leaves bookseller.

Counterspeak is co-hosted by American Booksellers Association Content Director Sydney Jarrard; Director of ABFE, Advocacy, and Public Policy Dave Grogan; and Advocacy and Public Policy Coordinator Maria Peroni. The podcast addresses issues pertaining to free expression and the First Amendment. Additionally, Counterspeak is now on Twitter.

In this episode, Bollinger discusses his new book, The Free Speech Century (Oxford University Press), co-edited with Geoffrey R. Stone. The book includes essays tracing the history of First Amendment jurisprudence from the Supreme Court’s 1919 decision in Schenck v. the United States, which first invoked the phrase “clear and present danger.” Bollinger highlights the significance of early First Amendment decisions in protecting speech rights, and considers the future of the First Amendment.

Creeley joins Counterspeak to talk about his work defending students’ First Amendment rights, why he is passionate about free expression, and his thoughts on the debate surrounding whether there is a campus free speech “crisis.”

Each month, Counterspeak features interviews with experts on the First Amendment and free speech, as well as discussions on relevant current events. A new episode is available on the first Wednesday of the month on BookWeb, Spotify, and iTunes. For more information, check out Counterspeak’s short introductory episode. And don’t forget: You can now follow Counterspeak on Twitter.

The producers at Counterspeak are always on the lookout for guests or show topics. If you have suggestions, contact the podcast at [email protected].