Stories That Save Us — A Conversation with Ashley Hope Pérez

Tune in to reflect on how words shape the world and why defending them matters.

In this episode of Rise with Defense of Democracy, host Addison K. Witt, Poet Laureate of Defense of Democracy, speaks with acclaimed author and educator Dr. Ashley Hope Pérez, Associate Professor at The Ohio State University and author of the award-winning novel Out of Darkness.

Ashley’s work sits at the intersection of literature, justice, and truth. Together, Addison and Ashley explore why stories matter, what’s at stake when books are banned, and how fiction opens doors to empathy, understanding, and possibility.

They discuss Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights, her advocacy through Unite to Read, and how young readers—and their access to diverse stories—shape the future of democracy.

This conversation is both deeply human and powerfully urgent, reminding us that to protect the freedom to read is to protect the freedom to be.