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Pleasure, pain, and romance in 'X' by Davey Davis : It's Been a Minute How do freedom and rights intersect with sex, pleasure and the self? It's a question the U.S. is facing in the wake of the Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — and a central theme in writer Davey Davis's new novel. In X, Davis relocates the conflict over these ideas from courts and abortion clinics to queer clubs and BDSM dungeons in a more dystopic version of our present.

In this episode, guest host Anna Sale talks to Davis about why sadism is romantic, how bureaucracy can become a tool of oppression and why bad behavior doesn't make us less human.

You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org.

It's Been a Minute

'X' explores pleasure and pain in a dystopic world

'X' explores pleasure and pain in a dystopic world

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Davey Davis, the author of X. Elle Perez/Catapult hide caption

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Elle Perez/Catapult

Davey Davis, the author of X.

Elle Perez/Catapult

How do freedom and rights intersect with sex, pleasure and the self? It's a question the U.S. is facing in the wake of the Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — and a central theme in writer Davey Davis's new novel. In X, Davis relocates the conflict over these ideas from courts and abortion clinics to queer clubs and BDSM dungeons in a more dystopic version of our present.

In this episode, guest host Anna Sale talks to Davis about why sadism is romantic, how bureaucracy can become a tool of oppression and why bad behavior doesn't make us less human.

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This episode was produced by Liam McBain. It was edited by Jessica Mendoza and Quinn O'Toole. Engineering help came from Hanna Copeland. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at IBAM@npr.org.