Earlier this month, PEN America held its first annual Unified Voices Summit in Orlando, which united and celebrated educators as well as authors and activists such as Jodi Picoult and Stacey Abrams who are determined to turn the tide against education censorship and book bans in Florida.
The State of Book Bans: Wisconsinâs Battle with 'Parental Rights'
In the context of public schools, the term âparental rightsâ has become a rallying cry for those seeking to censor student self-expression and the teaching of diverse histories and experiences, and increase parental oversight of books, curricula, and clubs offered at public schools. Even without a âparental rightsâ law on the books, the rhetoric and associated policies have led to chaos in schools and libraries across Wisconsin. This push toward âparental rightsâ has already fueled book bans and classroom censorship: at least 450 books have been banned in the state since 2021.
This past week, Russian courts sentenced writers and journalists Masha Gessen, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Mikhail Zygar to prison for their expression. The in-absentia convictions of Gessen and Zygar's -- neither of whom live in the country -- show the outstretched reach of the Russian government's (transnational) repression and represent a further crackdown in a country that was included in our 2023 Freedom to Write Index's top ten jailers of writers globally. PEN America condemned the Russian government for continuing to imprison writers and journalists, and urged the international community to hold the government accountable for these violations. Writers play a crucial role in society and their rights must be protected.
Alongside press rights organizations including the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Knight First Amendment Institute, PEN America signed a letter that asked President Joe Biden to urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while he's visiting Washington, D.C., this week, to protect journalists. âWhether tacit or explicit, U.S. support for Israelâs actions against journalists and journalism directly undermines the United Statesâ longstanding commitment to press freedom and human rights,â the letter states. Â
This weekâs Member Spotlight features The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us by PEN America Member Rachelle Bergstein. Everyone knows Judy Blume. Her books have garnered her fans of all ages for decades and sold tens of millions of copies. The books she wrote starred regular children with genuine thoughts and problems. But behind those deceptively simple tales, Blume explored the pillars of the growing women's rights movement, in which girls and women were entitled to careers, bodily autonomy, fulfilling relationships, and even sexual pleasure. Her bravery provoked backlash, making her the country's most-banned author in the mid-1980s. Thankfully, her works withstood those culture wars and it's no coincidence that Blume has resurfaced as a cultural touchstone now. As we face a new wave of book banning, it's only natural we look to Blume, the grand dame of so-called dirty books. This is the story of how a housewife became a groundbreaking artist, and how generations of empowered fans are her legacy.
In answering a new PEN America survey, journalists explained how local community members can successfully approach journalists, pitch them stories, and build long-lasting relationships with them. PEN America compiled their answers into a comprehensive, easy-to-read guide.
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel spoke with "By the Book" about her current reading list and favorite novels. (The New York Times)
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Digital Safety Director Viktorya Vilk warned about the LA County Sheriffâs Department (LASD) surveillance of a journalist following articles she wrote about the history of local gangs. (LA Public Press)
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Freedom to Read director Kasey Meehan expressed alarm in an investigative piece that exposes a two-year campaign by right-wing activists to bring charges against school librarians in Texas. (NBC News)
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Digital safety experts Viktorya Vilk and Jeje Mohamed spoke with the podcasters at "Itâs All Journalism" about the effects of online abuse on journalists in the U.S. and the necessity of garnering peer support. (It's All Journalism)
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A federal judge denied a request from Escambia County school officials for a protective order that would allow them not to testify about removing books from shelves â but he also provided a roadmap for a revised request. (Sun Sentinel)
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University of California regents voted to prohibit political opinions from appearing on any main campus homepages, though they will still allow commentary to be posted on other pages of an academic departmentâs website. (Los Angeles Times)
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A Florida school district banned Ban This Book. Author Alan Gratz says thatâs âerasure of the highest orderâ and wants it reinstated. (CNN)
âI saw parents determined to fight on behalf of their kidsâ right to read (and many parents expressing profound gratitude for the child-care provided that allowed them to participate); and I saw many, many young people ready to pick up the baton and lead the charge forward.â Â
â Andrew White, senior manager for PEN America, describing the Unified Voices Summit.Â
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Julie Miller was removed from her position as a high school librarian for fighting back against book bans in her Clay County school district. âI was devastated by the outcome and angered by the whole process. I felt like I had failed so many people: students who would relate to the book, other libraries and librarians, and the author.â
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