“The podcast that I didn’t realize I was missing. The hosts have done the research and they are asking more questions and making their listeners question why we do things as a society. I went in thinking that the podcast would just be about banned books, but it’s so much more. Thank you Christine and Jessica.” — Podcast Reviewer

Christine Renee Miller fancies herself an expert. Perhaps it’s because she always seems to play one on screen. You can see her recurring on the CBS hit show, Blue Bloods as the snarky M.E. who constantly schools Donny Wahlberg. She also stars opposite Jim Parsons as the head cancer nurse in the Michael Showalter feature film, Spoiler Alert. And of course, playing an expert wouldn’t be replete without her role as the face of Lubriderm, where she got to be a quirky dermatologist who even wore a light blue lab coat (obviously she’s a real skin expert). Apart from these and other TV/Film roles (where she genuinely plays the character who knows most about the thing…it’s weird), she is a real-life expert in writing. Her solo shows Baby Cow and Such Nice Shoes, both garnered rave reviews in the New York City independent theater world as well as receiving a New York Innovative Theater award nomination. She teaches Playwriting at Wilkes University and is a writing coach to clients across the globe.

Jessica Goudeau is a journalist, professor, producer, and advocate. Her first nonfiction book, After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America, won the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize and a Christopher Award, was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice book, among other accolades. Her second nonfiction book, We Were Illegal, is a deep exploration of pivotal moments in Texas history through multiple generations of her own family, and a ruthless reexamination of our national and personal myths. It was named by The New York Times one of “19 Nonfiction Books to Read This Summer” and an Editors’ Choice book; NPR selected it as a “Book of the Day.” Goudeau has been a columnist for Catapult, and has written for The New York Times, Time, The Atlantic, and Washington Post, among other places. She has a PhD in US and South American literature from the University of Texas and speaks fluent Portuguese and Spanish. She currently teaches Creative Nonfiction at Wilkes University.

We Were Illegal: Uncovering a Texas Family’s Mythmaking and Migration

Viking |
History

An award-winning author’s deep exploration of pivotal moments in Texas history through multiple generations of her own family, and a ruthless reexamination of our national and personal myths

Seven generations of Jessica Goudeau’s family have lived in Texas, and her family’s legacy—a word she heard often growing up—was rooted in faith, right-living, and the hard work that built their great state. It wasn’t until her aunt mentioned a stowaway ancestor and she began to dig more deeply into the story of the land she lives on today in suburban Austin, that Goudeau discovered her family’s far more complicated role in Texas history: from a swindling land grant agent in the earliest days of Anglo settlement that brought slavery to Mexican land, up through her Texas Ranger great-uncle, who helped a sociopathic sheriff cover up mass murder.

Tracking her ancestors’ involvement in pivotal moments from before the Texas Revolution through today, We Were Illegal is at once an intimate and character-driven narrative and an insider’s look at a state that prides itself on its history. It is an act of reckoning and recovery on a personal scale, as well as a reflection of the work we all must do to dismantle the whitewashed narratives that are passed down through families, communities, and textbooks. And it is a story filled with hope—by facing these hypocrisies and long-buried histories, Goudeau explores with us how to move past this fractured time, take accountability for our legacy, and learn to be better, more honest ancestors.

After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America

Viking |
Nonfiction

“Simply brilliant, both in its granular storytelling and its enormous compassion” –The New York Times Book Review

The story of two refugee families and their hope and resilience as they fight to survive and belong in America

The welcoming and acceptance of immigrants and refugees have been central to America’s identity for centuries–yet America has periodically turned its back in times of the greatest humanitarian need. After the Last Border is an intimate look at the lives of two women as they struggle for the twenty-first century American dream, having won the “golden ticket” to settle as refugees in Austin, Texas.

Mu Naw, a Christian from Myanmar struggling to put down roots with her family, was accepted after decades in a refugee camp at a time when America was at its most open to displaced families; and Hasna, a Muslim from Syria, agrees to relocate as a last resort for the safety of her family–only to be cruelly separated from her children by a sudden ban on refugees from Muslim countries. Writer and activist Jessica Goudeau tracks the human impacts of America’s ever-shifting refugee policy as both women narrowly escape from their home countries and begin the arduous but lifesaving process of resettling in Austin–a city that would show them the best and worst of what America has to offer.

After the Last Border situates a dramatic, character-driven story within a larger history–the evolution of modern refugee resettlement in the United States, beginning with World War II and ending with current closed-door policies–revealing not just how America’s changing attitudes toward refugees have influenced policies and laws, but also the profound effect on human lives.

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Banned Geeks

This talk designed for students (though adaptable for an adult audience) goes over the basics of book banning: what happens when a book is challenged and then banned, what that means for the book, and how it differs from processes in the past. We’ll tell stories and talk about the history of book banning. We’ll also go over critical resources for how to fight book bans and protect the freedom to read. This talk can be tailored to the age of the students and will be fun, informational, and practical.

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Coming-of-Age in an Age of Banning

Geared for teens (middle school and high school), this inspirational talk uses historical coming-of-age books, many of which are often banned, to explore the power and opportunities young people have now. Looking to the history of banned works helps us find hope for where we are now; we’ll talk about why works of art have historically been banned, what’s at stake, and how time periods like this provide focus for young people who care about art and literature. And we’ll explore what teens can do at a practical level; this interactive talk can be shaped to your school or community, and would feature local library or other program initiatives promoting freedom to read.

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What Is Lost When We Ban Art

This poignant talk lays out what is lost when books are banned: the art and language students might never experience, the exposure to other ways of thinking and being, the cultural depths only books and plays and films can provide. And it counters many of the myths about book banning: namely, that authors get rich and have it made when their books are challenged and banned. Instead, the costs of banning works are high on writers, publishers, librarians, teachers, and communities. This book can be adapted from students to educators to libraries or other groups, and allows for thoughtful discussion about what is lost when art is censored—namely, critical thinking and compassion.

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Choose Your Own Adventure

We love to shape our talks to your group’s needs, so we’d love to work with you on whatever ideas you have! We can promise it will be engaging, fun, and thoughtful!

Jessica’s Website

Christine’s Website

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Jessica Goudeau
New York Times
named We Were Illegal one of the “19 Nonfiction Books to Read This Summer”
Kirkus Starred Review
New York Times Editors’ Choice Book Award Winner
Library Journal “Best Social Science Book of the Year”
Chicago Public Library’s “Best Books of 2020”
J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize
Christopher Award
World Magazine’s “Understanding the World” Book of the Year
Finalist for the Writer’s League of Texas Nonfiction Book Award
Finalist for the BookTube Prize
Shortlisted for the Chautauqua Prize
Longlisted for the Reading the West Narrative Nonfiction Award

Christine Renee Miller
Semi Finalist – Summer Playwright Festival, Road Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
New York Independent Theater Awards Nominee

Directing:
Scared Skinny – Best Solo show, NY International Fringe
Jaxx & Lolo – Outstanding Solo Show, Audience Award, Outstanding Technical/Media – Frigid Festival
Mother – Venue Award, NY International Fringe

TV/Film Performances (Select):
Spoiler Alert (Focus Features) – opposite Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge
Blue Bloods (CBS, recurring)
Power Book II: Ghost (Start, recurring)
For Life (NBC, recurring)
Sister, Sister
Party of Five
Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper
Moesha

Media clips

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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