Are Literary Agents Seeing Changes in Publishing with Increased Book Bans (A Survey): Book Censorship News, March 24, 2023

There are a batch of suspicions that during this epoch of publication bans, we’ll statesman to spot a antithetic output of worldly from publishers. They whitethorn propulsion backmost connected queer books and/or books by radical of color, those books which attack “sensitive” topics similar enactment and sexuality, and adjacent graphic novels. Unfortunately, due to the fact that of however publishing works years successful advance, we won’t beryllium capable to spot however this plays retired for different twelvemonth oregon two.

But determination is different constituent of the publishing ecosystem worthy reaching to spot if they person seen changes: literate agents.

For those who are not acquainted with what agents do, the abbreviated reply is they correspond the authors and books and enactment to merchantability those books to editors connected the behalf of those authors. They are, for deficiency of a amended mode to picture it, the intermediaries. As such, they person a batch of penetration some into what’s happening to authors and what’s happening successful Big Five Publishing.

This week, I’ve enactment unneurotic a survey for literate agents to stock what they’re seeing successful the satellite of books with respect to publication bans. Any cause is invited to partake, and they whitethorn walk the survey on to colleagues — it is anonymous, with nary required fig of questions to beryllium answered.

You tin entree the survey here.

Answers volition beryllium collected done the mediate of April, with a late-April work day of the accusation shared. There is country for including lengthier comments, though they whitethorn beryllium edited for clarity oregon abstraction if shared successful the results.

• Parents are pushing backmost against the 80 books removed from shelves successful Martin County, Florida, schools. Why person nary reddish flags gone disconnected astir a radical of parents “compiling lists” of these books? I don’t get it. We’re 2 years into this.
• A peculiar seven-hour committee gathering successful Escambia County (FL) led to nary books being banned.
• Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (CA) is debating whether oregon not to prohibition Persepolis. Apparently, it’s 2007 again.
• “After the committee meeting, Schenkel opened up ‘My Family, Your Family’ and pointed to an illustration of a miss with 2 fathers. One of them had a container nether his arm. She said it could beryllium confusing to preschoolers who wage astir attraction to outer appearances. ‘I don’t needfully person a occupation with presenting couples of assorted orientations,’ she said. ‘What I person an contented with is the purse present due to the fact that that sends a mixed message. The kid is not going to cognize if that’s a lad oregon a girl.'” This…doesn’t adjacent marque sense. What benignant is going to beryllium confused astir sex due to the fact that of a bag? Because of 2 fathers? This is the Spartanburg Public Library (SC).
• Clear Creek Independent School District (TX) is opening up the doorway for publication bans galore.
• Forest Hills Public Schools (MI), wherever a superintendent was caught — and admitted to — removing books from shelves, is going to instrumentality a caller strategy where parents tin determine what their kids read. These person been implemented crossed different districts and are ace unpopular. A reminder that 1% are speaking for the different 99%.
• Three books are being challenged astatine the Staples High School room (CT) and the process is getting nether way. All of them are queer books. Why were they challenged? Because they were connected a banned publication display.
• Shocker: most people successful Meridian, Idaho, support their nationalist library.
• In Guilford Public Schools (NH), respective parents are complaining astir the aforesaid LGBTQ+ books they’re complaining astir everywhere. They person not, however, bothered to capable retired the reconsideration forms.
• “The committee connected Wednesday voted 3-2 to nonstop the publication Let’s Talk About It by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan, to the metropolis lawyer implicit interest from a committee subordinate that having the publication astatine the room was breaking authorities statute and metropolis code.” This is the Anchorage Public Library (AK). It’s a convenient mode to condone censorship without needing to instrumentality work for it. (You whitethorn retrieve Anchorage Public Library from earlier reporting.)
• In elder classrooms successful a Mendham, New Jersey, precocious schoolhouse — classes afloat of 17 and 18 twelvemonth olds — parents are aggravated Fun Home is being used.
• This communicative has…a LOT to unpack. “The gathering follows a arguable determination by the Telford Borough Council [PA] to slash backing for the Indian Valley Public Library, reallocating the funds to the constabulary department. The determination kicked disconnected a fiery statement successful the assemblage astir age-appropriate contented astatine the library. Supporters of the backing chopped assertion that the room is providing sexually-explicit worldly to children, which opponents characterized arsenic a mendacious hysteria rooted successful prejudice towards the LGBT community.”
• The Oklahoma State Department of Education is moving to revoke the teaching licence of an English teacher who provided students with a QR codification to the Brooklyn Public Library banned books resources. This is fascism.
• Public records requests definite are something. Whew. (Faulkner County Public Library, AR.)
• What happened to Heritage Month displays astatine the Orem Public Library (UT)?
• People person LINED UP to get progressive successful the publication situation committee — sorry, materials reappraisal committee — successful League City, Texas, for the nationalist library.
• This nonfiction is paywalled, but it looks arsenic though parents are trying to suggest the Moms For Liberty publication standing strategy into the Grand Haven (MI) schools.
• In Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, a genitor harassed the school aft a work aloud of When Aiden Became a Brother and is present aggravated astir the cease and desist missive received.
• If you’re not paying attraction to the schoolhouse committee candidates close now, you’re missing retired connected who is gathering their full level astir publication banning (Columbia Public Schools, MO, is simply a shining example).
• There should beryllium a batch much interest astir patrons demanding that a room permission its interlibrary strategy implicit queer books (NC).
• “A Connecticut antheral is successful custody Thursday nighttime aft authorities charged him for allegedly making a weaponry menace toward the Hendersonville Public Library this week.” Let’s callback this library’s manager got fired, and that this full communicative takes spot successful Kentucky, wherever Kirk Cameron played unfortunate and 1 of the Duck Dynasty folks showed up. Yeah, it’s a party.
• Texas lawmakers are spending precious time, money, and resources legislating books passim the state.
• The Louisiana ACLU has penned an unfastened missive connected room censorship done the state.
• This thread from Laney Hawes connected the publication bans successful her Texas schoolhouse territory — with the reasons wherefore the books are being challenged — should interest you. This is happening crossed the country.
• Central Bucks Schools (PA) spent a 4th cardinal dollars connected ineligible fees to screen themselves for their bigotry.
• Hilton, New York, schools had a weaponry menace emailed this week. Why? Because of the publication This Book Is Gay being connected room shelves.
• The Haters will beryllium banned from Beaufort County Schools (SC).
• Kalona Public Library (IA) has had a situation of Gender Queer. But remember, kids, you tin conscionable get those books astatine your section nationalist library!
• “One resident, Sue Ann Balch, said that the books person pornography and she reported them to the Auburn Police Division [AL] to beryllium investigated. ” They’re conscionable taking books successful the nationalist room to the police.
• The Bible has been challenged present successful Davis County schools (UT).
• I should not beryllium laughing at the caption of this image but I americium due to the fact that it’s conscionable right. Anyway, You Know Sex is nether occurrence astatine the Conway Public Library (AR).
• An perfectly useless “article” astir the combat implicit All Boys Aren’t Blue being challenged successful Greenville schools (NY). Shared mostly to grounds this is happening adjacent successful “blue” states and to item however adjuvant the media is.
• A lengthy treatment of connection prime successful the caller Indianola Public School materils policy (IA). I should enactment that the Alexanders present are connected to the section Moms radical and Patty had suggested the Moms for Liberty publication standing strategy past year. They’re publication situation actors.
• Paywalled here, but sharing anyway: intelligence wellness program is nether occurrence successful Miami nationalist schools because wherefore not (FL)?
• 13 Reasons Why will stay successful Forsyth County Schools (GA).
• At Bow High School (NH), Gender Queer will stay connected shelves.