An Open Letter to Stephen King: Book Censorship News, January 27, 2023

Dear Stephen King:

Last week, you had a tweet instrumentality off. I’ve seen it everywhere, including connected respective elephantine Facebook pages, Instagram pages, adjacent connected TikTok. The tweet, astir publication banning, is bully and sexy, attempting to interruption down the occupation successful nether 280 characters. And you know, it was successful!

It got a batch of attraction from your 7 cardinal followers, arsenic good arsenic truthful galore large names.

But, Stephen, this tweet, arsenic thoughtful arsenic I deliberation you mean it to be, has done a batch of harm for the origin of anti-censorship successful today’s world.

According to PEN’s past report, the numbers suggest that done June 2022, over 4 cardinal students were impacted by publication bans successful their schools. We cognize present that, 8 months later, this fig is adjacent higher. It mightiness beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic your follower number connected Twitter. As of close now, determination has been nary number connected however galore individuals person been impacted by publication bans astatine their section libraries oregon by legislature crossed the state that limits the kinds of books made disposable successful immoderate nationalist library. Indeed, determination are bills being projected and passed which would criminalize librarians and educators who situation to person definite books connected their shelves, whether they are successful nationalist oregon schoolhouse libraries.

Do you cognize what that means? It means that kids cannot simply “haul [their] ass to the newest bookstore oregon room ASAP.” Especially due to the fact that these right-wing bigots are besides trying to halt the merchantability of galore books successful bookstores (remember past year, erstwhile they tried to bash that successful Virginia Beach with Gender Queer? That is not a lone incident).

I fishy if you paused for a 2nd earlier hitting send, you’d besides see the fiscal privilege successful suggesting kids simply spell bargain the publication they want. How bash you accidental they’ll get there? What if they bash not person a bookstore anyplace adjacent them? Remember, astir kids don’t person recognition cards, truthful they’re not hopping online to bargain these books.

So present what? How bash you accidental these kids haul their asses to the nearest nationalist room oregon bookstore erstwhile their nationalist room has been told what materials tin beryllium collected and they person nary means to acquisition a book? They conscionable suffer out, right?

Stephen, that…is the constituent of this. THAT is the point. You made the constituent for the folks doing these publication bans portion besides feeding them the precise enactment they usage successful their arguments against having these books successful schoolhouse libraries. You virtually gave them backmost their talking constituent arsenic to wherefore they are banning books, doing irrevocable harm to the astir marginalized for whom those of america doing this anti-censorship enactment person been warring to protect. Do you admit that you utilized your level to bash much harm than good? For what? To spell viral and marque it dependable similar an casual solution to the existent problems being faced by radical whose names you’ll ne'er know?

Moreover, here’s different happening to realize: the kids know.

The kids cognize wherefore these books are “dangerous.”

These books are astir them: Black, Brown, Queer. They cognize they are seen arsenic humans to beryllium disappeared, and their books being pulled and made amerciable is portion of the process of eradicating them, arsenic complex, multidimensional, beauteous people. They don’t request to “haul ass” to the bookstore oregon nationalist room to cognize this. They’re listening to grown ups getting their 15 minutes of societal media fame astatine schoolhouse committee meetings talking astir however educators are “grooming” young people, “indoctrinating’ them with these “CRT” and “comprehensive sexuality education” books.

Kids are present not going to the room anymore. Libraries are nary longer ordering books. This small statistic should nonstop chills: for each schoolhouse room with a publication challenge, they were 55% little apt to bid LGBTQ+ books the pursuing year.

Stephen, you privation to cognize what would person been a amended usage of your platform? That would really assistance alteration the people of what we’ve been warring present for 18 months (yes, did you cognize this each truly started successful mid-2021? Because WE do)? Telling your followers you were going to amusement up to the adjacent schoolhouse committee gathering to speech astir wherefore queer books and books by and astir radical of colour matter. Even if 1000 followers of your 7,000,000 took that to bosom and went to their section schoolhouse committee gathering oregon sent their schoolhouse boards a missive astir wherefore books matter, that would person done much existent bully than suggesting kids lick the occupation (hey, here’s a template!).

Telling them however to combat the battle, with tools and resources that truthful galore of america with existent expertise successful doing this — with cognition of the existent battlefield — person been tirelessly creating.

But instead, you chose to bash much damage, offering thing but a small quippy tweet that offers perfectly nary tools, nary insight, and nary thought astir wherefore it is these kids (again, THE astir marginalized ones, without time, money, oregon privileges afforded to folks similar you who are straight, white, cis men) mightiness not simply beryllium capable to “haul ass” to get those books and observe wherefore baddies are banning them.

Those kids…they know.

Give them immoderate damn credit.

You created a batch of hurt. I anticipation you walk immoderate clip considering however you tin assistance the cause, alternatively than provender the rallying cries of the broadside trying to eradicate anyone without your level of privilege.

And, Stephen, if I may: this isn’t the archetypal clip you’ve shown your privilege with a tweet. It won’t beryllium the last. But it is surely worthy pausing a infinitesimal to see whether what you’re going to accidental would beryllium of worth and showcases that you’ve done immoderate enactment connected the taxable OR whether it’s amended not to stock that thought and alternatively excavation into and amplify the enactment of others who have.

I’m acrophobic you told millions of kids you’re not their “old buddy.” Certainly teachers and librarians who person a people connected their backs aren’t blessed with your comment, knowing that they’re putting their lives and livelihoods connected the enactment each time (I mean, determination are states wherever full snitch lines are acceptable up, but bash spell connected astir “hauling ass” to the library).

Do better.

Be better.

We request accomplices putting successful the time, effort, sweat, and tears to dismantle this fascist agenda, not keyboard allies.

Book Censorship News: January 27, 2023

• “School committee trustees successful McKinney person unanimously voted to alteration its publication policy, a determination they accidental makes it easier for books to beryllium reviewed. Instead of evaluators needing to work an full publication they whitethorn present work lone passages nether question.” Great job, McKinney Independent School District (Texas). Now you don’t adjacent request to walk the Miller Test to person a publication removed.
• Fremont Public Schools (Nebraska) stopped giving kids a publication they got from a grant. The publication is astir inclusivity, of course.
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin, schools had three books removed from selves by the principal. Two different books were being targeted, too.
• “Over 2 days, officials successful the Lee’s Summit School District [Missouri] received much than 200 complaints targeting adjacent to 60 books successful schoolhouse libraries, territory officials told america Friday.” Coordinated much?
• This is simply a must-read portion connected how Rockwood schoolhouse territory parents (Missouri) managed to termination 3 diversity-focused programs successful the schools. (Paywalled? Try this link — fascism is allowed to breed due to the fact that accusation is down a paywall portion lies are free).
• A achromatic begetter joining the crusade to region Gender Queer from a section school and he’s taking up the mantle to reappraisal everything successful the schoolhouse room (Rhode Island).
• Central Bucks County Schools (Pennsylvania) are working with a spiritual instrumentality steadfast to make their bigotry policies. Separation. Of. Church. And. State.

• Almost 2 twelve books were removed from Madison County Public Schools (Virginia) this week after the territory implemented caller publication guidelines. All the titles are successful the story, but here’s the speedy list:

• It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover will beryllium pulled from Beaufort County schools (South Carolina).
• Here is simply a stellar illustration of however breaking a communicative astir censorship tin pb to existent alteration erstwhile activists bash the work. This communicative published aboriginal this week with the lede: “Teachers successful Manatee County, Florida, are being told to marque their schoolroom libraries — and immoderate different ‘unvetted’ publication — inaccessible to students, oregon hazard felony prosecution.” Tuesday, the determination was reversed and Manatee County students DO person entree to schoolroom libraries.
• 24 books are nether reappraisal astatine Catawba County schools (North Carolina). Did you cognize spiritual beliefs are nether attack? I conjecture that full “separation of religion and state” happening is to beryllium ignored.
• Shocker: determination are radical moving for the Nixa School Board (Missouri) who privation to prohibition books. This schoolhouse has been a large subordinate successful the falsely labeled “culture wars.”
• “Mirna Eads, Campbell County Mom’s for Liberty chairperson, expressed interest astir books disposable to students connected subjects she said were inappropriate. She was specifically acrophobic with ‘Scythe’ by Neal Schusterman, which she said was ‘about teens learning to termination radical they perceived arsenic having nary intent successful society.'” Don’t interest — the adjacent enactment was astir however this caller radical successful the region doesn’t judge successful banning books. This is Connor High School successful Kentucky.
• Six books are nether occurrence astatine Glen Ridge Public Library (New Jersey). They are, of course, the accustomed suspects bigots hate. Psst: Stephen King, this is what we’re trying to explain.

• And here, too! Hayden Public Library (Idaho) is having its committee meetings flooded with folks who privation to propulsion books they don’t similar from shelves.

• Me and Earl and The Dying Girl is being banned from Willard School District (Missouri).
• A right-wing blimpish PAC had its full slate of schoolhouse committee candidates triumph successful Brandywine, Michigan, and now they’re aiming squarely astatine the library.
• “Pinellas County precocious schoolhouse students nary longer volition person entree to Toni Morrison’s archetypal publication ‘The Bluest Eye’ successful their classrooms oregon libraries.” A classical is banned successful a Florida schoolhouse district.
• Writing this roundup successful beforehand of Thursday evening schoolhouse boards means having the communicative of an upcoming publication prohibition vote, but not the decision. This week, MSAD 52 (Maine) volition determine whether oregon not Gender Queer volition stay connected shelves.
• This publication reappraisal process successful Frederick County, Maryland, which has 35 members connected its committee and had immoderate 1,000 apply, is an implicit clusterfuck.
• “If your kid is truthful acrophobic to beryllium unfastened and honorable astir what they are reading, that says much astir your narration than the publication they person chosen.” Boom.
• Though it seems similar a “compromise” to make these forms that parents tin usage to restrict their students’ entree to room material, these are going to bring lawsuits against educators and librarians. The School District of Lee County (Florida) is working to make immoderate beauteous analyzable compromises here.
• Waterloo Public Schools successful Ontario are getting infiltrated by parents who’ve been drinking their neighbor’s bigot kool-aid.
• “‘The playbook seems to beryllium that if I can’t person you of my constituent of view, I’ll edifice to sanction calling,’ Heikka said, anterior to speechmaking respective emails from committee members who received threats. ‘Once you trim idiosyncratic to thing arsenic horrific arsenic a “pervert” oregon a ‘groomer,” the adjacent measurement becomes precise casual and it incites immoderate to edifice to carnal threats.'” You got that right (Milan Schools, Michigan).
• Good quality is that advocates for the First Amendment are showing up successful Forsyth County, Georgia, schoolhouse committee meetings.
• Beyond Magenta and Fun Home are being challenged astatine Fallbrook Union High School District successful California.
• “During the meeting, retiring room manager Rita Ennen said recently implemented parental controls are present progressive astatine Dickinson Area Public Library [North Dakota]. The safeguard allows parents to enactment a artifact connected their insignificant children’s room cards, making parental support indispensable for children to cheque retired immoderate room materials.” Minors means up to 18, truthful I conjecture the public library isn’t where the kids tin get materials they whitethorn privation to read.
• The tiny municipality of Kiel, Wisconsin, was halfway to respective almighty stories past twelvemonth including trans students, trans rights, publication bans, and more. Here’s an update connected however it’s going.
• As of writing, there has not been an update connected whether oregon not The Truth About Alice will beryllium banned from Flagler County Schools (Florida). Next month, they’ll determine the destiny of The Black Flamingo.
• “Local parents are pushing backmost against a missive signed by ACLU Massachusetts asking schools not to prohibition books.” No, really. Parents are pushing backmost against the American Civil Liberties Union astir existent law rights.
• Red, White, and Royal Blue will stay disposable to students successful Willis Independent School District (Texas).
• Hamilton East Public Library (Indiana) met Thursday nighttime to find whether oregon not they tin support Why? by Taye Diggs successful the library.
• “Get the publication from the bookstore!” mightiness beryllium an ill-informed remark astatine best, but what happens erstwhile the bookstore is nary longer there? In Riverside, California, days aft hosting a Drag Queen Story Event, Cellar Door Books got an eviction announcement and are present looking for a caller space.
• Sartell St. Stephen School District (Minnesota) removed the publication Him by Sarina Bowen from room shelves. Get a load of the sanction of the radical who made it happen.
• Volusia County School Board (Florida) is trying to find what books would and would not beryllium allowed connected shelves. The database of titles presently pulled portion awaiting specified a argumentation is not small. Psst: censorship.
• Sex Is A Funny Word will stay connected shelves astatine the Keene Public Library (Nebraska). The idiosyncratic who filed the ailment is beauteous wide connected her agenda: “Aside from ‘Sex is simply a Funny Word,’ Murray and her girl besides decried the beingness of 4 LGBTQ+-themed books successful the library, though she did not record a ailment seeking the removal of those books. In consequent interviews, Murray said she and others person discovered a full of 86 LGBTQ+-themed books successful the room that she does not judge should beryllium available.”
• Great work, Let Utah Read, successful hosting an lawsuit astatine the capitol. More of this, please!
• These radical ballot and tally for schoolhouse board. That’s all.
• Finally, the caller Polk County (Florida) schoolhouse libraries tin person books connected shelves. Though it isn’t without the ignorance we’ve seen from “activists”: “The Polk County School Board volition acquisition 37,000 books for caller schoolhouse libraries, including 14 books identified by blimpish groups arsenic containing topics inappropriate for school-aged children, including ‘Marxist captious contention theory’ and ‘pornographic’ content.”