If Erotic Literature Is Your Ministry, The Turn On Is a Blessing You Shouldn't Be Without

While this pandemic has deprived us of plenty, it’s also provided us with all the time in the world to devote ourselves to two pretty popular hobbies: reading books and having sex.

And with its insightful explorations of the intricacies of having sex while Black, critically-acclaimed literary erotica podcast, The Turn On, has returned with its fourth season to provide its signature mix of storytelling and humor, while centering the lived experiences of Black women, femmes, and gender-nonconforming individuals.

Since its debut in 2019, co-hosts Erica Easter, a sex educator, and Kenrya Rankin, an author and self-described “Black joy advocate,” have utilized an assortment of books by Black authors to create space for compelling conversations about how sex intersects with other facets of our lives, be it race, politics, finance, disability, or parenting.

“The show is about sex and books, sure, but it’s also about helping our listeners take control of their pleasure,” Rankin said in a statement to The Root.

This season will also introduce a video component to allow Easter and Rankin to further connect with their audience as they continue to explore familiar themes such as therapy and body acceptance.

“It felt like it was time to step things up this season,” Rankin said. “What better way to build community than to get (kinda, sorta) face-to-face?”

To kick off the new season, Rankin and Easter use Fans Only, author B. Love’s popular erotica novel, as a springboard for a candid conversation with Akynos, executive director of the Black Sex Worker Collective. Future episodes will focus on finding companionship after incarceration and connecting in unexpected places.

“Season four is more of us doing what we do best—sharing readings of fantastic books from established and new writers and having no-holds-barred talks about what it means to have sex in a Black body,” Easter said in a statement to The Root. “We can’t wait to share it with the world.”

Welcome back, ladies!

The Turn On drops new episodes every Wednesday on your podcast platform of choice.