Episode

Banned books, shocking art & the birth of the culture wars

Podcast: Fresh Air
Published: Jun 30, 2026
Duration seconds: 2728
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Canonical source: https://www.npr.org/2026/06/30/nx-s1-5876286/banned-books-shocking-art-the-birth-of-the-culture-wars
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Summary

“The culture wars have completely eaten America,” says author Isaac Butler. His new book, ‘The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America’s Culture Wars,’ looks at how the religious right made a template for expressing grievance over art, and how that is used to this day to defund the National Endowment of the Arts. Butler spoke with Terry Gross. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our YouTube channel Check out the Fresh Air Archives See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy