# A.J.A. Woods, "The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West" (Verso, 2026) Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-american-studies-1045748/a-j-a-woods-the-cultural-marxism-conspiracy-why-the-right-blames-the-frankfurt-school-for-the-decline-of-the-west-verso-2026 Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-american-studies-1045748/a-j-a-woods-the-cultural-marxism-conspiracy-why-the-right-blames-the-frankfurt-school-for-the-decline-of-the-west-verso-2026.md Podcast: [New Books in American Studies](https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-american-studies-1045748) Published: 2026-08-24T08:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK2770923047.mp3 Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK2770923047.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/new-books-in-american-studies-1045748/episodes/a-j-a-woods-the-cultural-marxism-conspiracy-why-the-right-blames-the-frankfurt-school-for-the-decline-of-the-west-verso-2026 Duration seconds: 3220 ## Resource The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West (Verso Books, 2026) is the definitive history of a dangerous right-wing conspiracy theory. “Cultural Marxism” is one of the far right’s favorite buzzwords. But despite its currency, the meaning and origins of the term are rarely investigated. This book uncovers the bizarre story of the cult leaders, right-wing intellectuals, and White House officials who believe a coterie of left-wing scholars and students is plotting to undermine Western civilization. Drawing on years of archival research and using the tools of critical theory, A.J.A. Woods reveals how a group of German thinkers known as the Frankfurt School was recast as the sinister orchestrators of a global conspiracy. Instead of simply debunking this conspiracy theory, Woods offers a sharp analysis and critique of the political movements that have declared war on all that passes for Cultural Marxism in the US, the UK, and Brazil. Only when we understand the practices and weaknesses of those reactionaries committed to fighting this illusory threat—a conflict causing real-world damage—can we effectively resist. This is an essential book for anyone seeking to understand the ideological currents shaping politics in the twenty-first century. A.J.A. Woods is an intellectual historian who lives in Brighton, England. In 2022, Woods received a PhD from the Centre for the Study of Theory and Criticism at Western University, Canada. Their writings on conspiracy theories and reactionary politics have been translated into four languages and appeared in Open Democracy, Patterns of Prejudice, and Marx & Philosophy Review of Books. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in Ne… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/new-books-in-american-studies-1045748/episodes/a-j-a-woods-the-cultural-marxism-conspiracy-why-the-right-blames-the-frankfurt-school-for-the-decline-of-the-west-verso-2026/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-american-studies-1045748/a-j-a-woods-the-cultural-marxism-conspiracy-why-the-right-blames-the-frankfurt-school-for-the-decline-of-the-west-verso-2026.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.