Episode · Stuff You Should Know · 2025-12-02
Books mentioned on The Brutal History of Prison Labor
The idea of prison labor is relatively new in the annals of crime and punishment. And it's just as bad as you think.
Josh Clark recommended Beloved by Toni Morrison, and discussed Utopia by Thomas More, 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, and I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang! by Robert Elliott Burns.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Utopia
Utopia by Thomas More is a foundational 1516 satirical and philosophical work that famously coined the term utopia and describes an imaginary island society.
Discussed“Um, and then a guy named Thomas Moore wrote a book called Utopia. And he said, "There's a better way, people.”
Where to get it
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12 Years a Slave
12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup is an 1853 memoir documenting the harrowing true account of a free Black man from New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South.
Discussed“And if you've ever have you ever seen 12 Years a Slave yet? I I still shamefully cannot bring myself to see that movie.”
Where to get it
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Beloved
Beloved by Toni Morrison is a powerful historical fiction novel that tells the harrowing story of Sethe, an escaped enslaved woman haunted by the trauma of her past and the literal ghost of her daughter.
Recommended“Um have you ever read a beloved Tony Morrison novel? I feel like I have to say yes.”
Where to get it
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I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang!
Discussed“In 1932, there was a white northern veteran who was a convict obviously named Robert Burns. He published a book called I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang. Uh exclamation point.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“When I start Moby Dick, finally, I'll watch 12 Years a Slave and I'll just I'll just do both at the same time.”