10: Meet Josefina, Mourn for Selena

In episode nine, we turn our gaze to the American Southwest & the youthful, plucky Josefina Montoya. Our analysis of Josefina’s books begins with two powerful questions—first, given the place and time, is this the story of a colonial girl? Second, just how many references to Tejana queen Selena will we make per episode? While representations of imperialism in early American history are hard to unpack, over the course of this show, we’ll reveal why Meet Josefina had us reeling for still other reasons. Maybe you didn’t see how this book set in an 1820s borderland community (what’s now New Mexico) was essentially ripped from the 1990s melodrama THE PIANO.

But once you hear our take on Tia Dolores, you’ll see that’s why we’re here—note: we are also here to remind you of 90s crossover stars gone too soon.

At the end of this episode, we put out a special call for you to contact our hotline! You may reach us at 1-860-455-4091 with YOUR hot takes for Pride Month 2019. Whether you think Molly is the queerest of them all, or just have to share your Samantha take, reach out to us!

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