America’s Public Libraries Reflect the Systematic Failures and Social Inequality of Our Country

Growing up, the library was not just Amanda Oliver’s favorite place but also her “first beloved destination, first embodied center… it was absolutely sacred.” However, soon after Oliver began her career as a librarian at a Title I school and then in the D.C. public library system, she witnessed how systemic racism, income inequality, the […] The post America’s Public Libraries Reflect the Systematic Failures and Social Inequality of Our Country appeared first on Electric Literature. Continue reading at 'Electric Literature'

[ Electric Literature | 2023-01-05 12:00:00 UTC ]

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8 Books About the Lives of Single Mothers

When I first became a single mother, I hid it from everyone, including myself. In my new book, The Leaving Season: A Memoir in Essays, I track the evolution of my relationship with motherhood, starting as a reluctant mother of two in a married household and ultimately ending as a single mother... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-05-12 11:10:00 UTC ]
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A Secret Reverberates Across Four Generations of an East African Indian Family

In her debut novel A History of Burning, Janika Oza gives us the story of a family, one migration journey at a time. Beginning with indentured labor that leads the first member of the family, Pirbhai, from his home in India to East Africa, we follow four generations across several continents and... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-05-12 11:00:00 UTC ]
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7 Babysitters Club Books that Changed My Life

I can’t remember exactly when I discovered The Baby-Sitters Club books. Maybe it was at a Scholastic Book Fair at my school. But I’ll always remember the very first book, Kristy’s Great Idea, with its bright yellow cover and alphabet block letters. I saw four friends hanging out, and I... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-05-05 11:10:00 UTC ]
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The City Can’t Replace Her Best Friend

Julia by Ada Zhang When she was twenty-two she used to spend what little money she could have saved on hardcover books, lattes, and croissants. She read in cafés alone and anonymous, with no reason except to offer the world a glimpse of her. Ten years later, she was leaving and decided to... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-05-03 11:05:00 UTC ]
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Predicting the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

The Pulitzer Prize isn’t the only major literary award, but it is the one that seems to get the most attention.  The Old Man and the Sea. To Kill a Mockingbird. The Optimist’s Daughter. The Color Purple. Lonesome Dove. Beloved. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. Gilead. The Road. The... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-04-28 11:05:00 UTC ]
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These are the 13 books people tried to ban the most in 2022.

Today, the American Library Association has published its annual list of the Most Challenged Books—those most often targeted for banning in schools and public libraries. As you may already know if you’ve been paying even the slightest bit of attention, book banning efforts are in high gear right... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-24 14:24:23 UTC ]
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American Libraries Are Taking a Stand Against Book Bans

Some of the best moments of my life have been spent in libraries, first as a patron, later as a librarian, and I have witnessed firsthand how hard the past few decades have been on libraries. As America has continued to dismantle its social safety net, libraries have been forced to pivot from... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-04-21 11:05:00 UTC ]
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The Future of Libraries Involves Affordable Housing

The Boston Public Library is the latest in a string of public libraries to plan to incorporate affordable housing into its buildings. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-19 18:13:54 UTC ]
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Exclusive Cover Reveal of Ross White’s “Charm Offensive”

Electric Literature is pleased to reveal the cover for writer Ross White’s poetry collection, Charm Offensive, which will be published by Eyewear Publishing this July. White is the designer and author of Valley of Want, a finalist for Electric Lit’s Best Book Cover of 2022 contest. Charm... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-04-14 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Texas Library to Stay Open—For Now

After garnering national headlines, a group of Llano county commissioners on Thursday voted to table the idea of closing its public libraries. But as a federal lawsuit over the library's illegal removal of books it deemed offensive continues, library supporters say the library's future remains... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Libraries are under attack—and so are library workers

Libraries are increasingly being targeted by local and state legislators and protestors trying to ban books and block LGBTQ content. How is that affecting the people who work in them? Scratch nearly any kind of story—political, social, economic, cultural, and so on—and you’ll find a labor... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-04-14 03:00:00 UTC ]
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Llano County Keeps Public Libraries Open Amid Book Ban Controversy

Officials in Llano County considered closing the entire library system in lieu of returning challenged titles to its shelves. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-04-13 23:55:21 UTC ]
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Texas Ranks Among Lowest on Library Use, Highest in Book Bans: Library Use & Spending By State

What states spend the most money on their public libraries and what states see the most use per person? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-06 11:21:40 UTC ]
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My Jewish Father’s Chinese Food Was Legendary

The cover of the cookbook shows a bamboo basket laden with bell peppers, asparagus, and broccoli. Surrounding it on the table are scallions, ginger, dried mushrooms, peapods, a red onion. A fish, an eggroll, some dumplings, a pair of chopsticks. In the background, a white ceramic soup tureen... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-04-04 11:05:00 UTC ]
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The Week in Libraries: March 31, 2023

Among the week's headlines: bomb threats over Juno Dawson's 'This Book Is Gay' highlight the increasing threat level librarians and teachers are facing; Missouri lawmakers vote to defund the state's public libraries; and PEN America's Nadine Farid Johnson tells Congress that the country is... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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7 Newsletters That Will Help Get Your Book Published

For writers at every stage, the publishing industry can feel inaccessible. There are so many steps between drafting a book and seeing it out in the world. Especially for debut hopefuls, it’s more than a little intimidating: how do we know what we don’t know? Meanwhile, those who’ve already... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-03-24 11:00:00 UTC ]
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The Week in Libraries: March 24, 2023

Among the week's headlines: Congress passes a 'parental rights' bill; Illinois advances its bill to prohibit book banning; Missouri lawmakers seek to pull funding from public libraries in the state; and Julie Stivers has been named School Library Journal's 2023 School Librarian of the Year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Queer Villains Are Vital to Understanding Queer History

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[ Electric Literature | 2023-03-21 11:05:00 UTC ]
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Should Public Libraries Double Down on Print Book Collections?

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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A Young Woman’s Perspective on Being With an Older Man

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[ Electric Literature | 2023-03-09 12:00:00 UTC ]
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