The Guardian view on US book bans: time to fight back | Editorial

Censorship is surging thanks to an organised rightwing minority targeting books on LGBTQ and Black characters and issues“A book is a loaded gun in the house next door,” warns a character in Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury’s dystopian vision of an America where books are considered so dangerous they must be incinerated. The novel appeared 70 years ago, in the aftermath of Nazi book burnings and amid McCarthyism and Soviet ideological repression. But the urge to ban books has resurged with a vengeance, with the American Library Association (ALA) recording a doubling of censorship attempts in 2022, to 1,269 across 32 states: the highest rate for decades. Pen America, which champions freedom of expression, tallied more than 2,500 cases in the last school year.These attempts are not merely more numerous but are also broadening and deepening. The decisions of school boards and districts take place in the context of politicians grasping electoral advantage and punitive yet often vaguely worded state laws on education – such as the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis’s, Stop-Woke Act. At least 10 states have passed legislation increasing parental power over library stock, or limiting students’ access. In place of spontaneous challenges to single titles come challenges to multiple titles, organised by campaign groups such as Moms for Liberty. The ALA says that 40% of attempts last year targeted 100 books or more. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-13 17:21:33 UTC ]
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Man Booker to accept digital submissions for first time

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Richard and Judy launches kids books club

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder: TED Starts an E-Books Line

TED, known for exclusive events and online videos of speeches by celebrities like Al Gore, Bono and Malcolm Gladwell, plans to publish its own short ebooks, beginning with three that went on sale Wednesday. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Poet on winning Costa Book prize

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[ BBC News | 2011-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin enters exclusive Sainsburys book club

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cooking the Books with Anna Boiardi

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Target Keeps Book Buyers in Its Sights

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Small Bookstores Struggle for Niche in Shifting Times

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[ The New York Times | 2011-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Report: Verso and NewPage Back in Merger Talks

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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