Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita was first published in France in 1955, and has remained arguably among the most controversial books of (at least) the late 20th century.  It has been banned in France and Britain, and repeatedly challenged in the US. On the surface, the novel is a confession by Humbert Humbert, a man imprisoned for murder–the confession, … Continue reading “The tragic and the obscene exclude each other. ” A Letter for Banned Books Week →

Every year, the American Library Association observes Banned Books Week, a week of advocacy and education that united the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.  By focusing on … Continue reading Banned Books Week 2018! →

In 2014, Librarian Emily Knox set out to understand why people challenge, and attempt to ban, books, as part of her research for the book that would become Book Banning in 21st-century America.  She sat down with people who challenged books, and got them to discuss what drove them to make a case for banning a book … Continue reading Banned Books Week & #WeNeedDiverseBooks →