How do you spot fake news in a world full of misinformation? The Outsider Within team unpacks critical media literacy with insights from Elise Gravel’s book, "Killer Underwear Invasion," offering practical tips for families and educators to think critically and check their sources. Tune in for real talk, book recs, and tools to fight disinformation!

In this episode of The Outsider Within, we sit down with Dr. Sally Pirie, an anthropologist, visual artist, and professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. ​ Dr. Pirie shares her groundbreaking work in comics-based research, exploring how comics can democratize knowledge and make complex ideas accessible without oversimplifying them. She discusses her passion for normalizing gender diversity, her experiences as a mother of a transgender child, and the intersection of advocacy, scholarship, and creativity in her work. ​From her journey as a professional cartoonist to her pioneering work in comics-based research, Dr. Pirie offers insights into the power of art as a tool for resistance, storytelling, and truth-telling. She also offers practical advice for aspiring comic researchers and reflects on the importance of advocating for marginalized voices during challenging times. Whether you're an academic, artist, or advocate, this episode is sure to inspire and ignite your creativity.Tune in to hear how Dr. Pirie is reshaping the boundaries of research and making space for new ways of knowing.

In this thought-provoking and timely episode, we catch up with Dr. Raul A. Mora to discuss his work in the award-winning Literacies in Second Languages Project research lab and what it means to find community and purpose across and within our interconnected worlds.