Thank you to everyone who came out to our February panel Comics After COVID. We want to give a special thanks to our generous panelists Anna Warren Cebrian, Amy Chu, and Gamal Hennessey. The panelists had an insightful discussion…
Author: Jordan Smith
This Week is Freedom to Read Week in Canada!
This week, February 21 – 27, is Freedom to Read Week in Canada. Organized by the Book and Periodical Council, Freedom to Read Week “is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed…
Pearls Before Swine: A Quick Look at Editorial Discretion Versus Censorship
This past week the comic strip syndicate Andrews McNeel pulled five strips of creator Stephan Pastis’s “Pearls Before Swine” comic, effectively removing it from 850 newspapers nationwide. A set of five replacement strips, also by Pastis, were run in their…
The History of Censorship in America
Stacker recently posted their list of milestone moments in American censorship history. The list contains forty entries and spans several hundred years from 1722–2020. The size of the list serves as a reminder that the fight for Free Speech is a…
Lincoln Parish Library Board Votes to Reshelve Restricted LGBTQ+ Books
On Wednesday, the Lincoln Parish Library Board in Ruston, Louisiana, voted ‘yes’ to keep contested books on its shelves. This decision came on the heels of recent community complaints about the books. This is one of several recent attempts at…
What We’re Reading — Constitution Illustrated by R. Sikoryak
A graphic novel recently made it to the top of my TBR pile, and I’m ashamed it took this long for it to cross my desk. Even as I was writing this I saw it has been selected by The…
Victory in New York for Free Speech, New Legislation Targets SLAPP
On Tuesday this week, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York State signed legislation that strengthens the protection from frivolous lawsuits. Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPP suits, are a strategic form of litigation that is used by wealthy plaintiffs…
Join Banned Books Week for a Live Conversation with Gene Luen Yang
Next week, September 28 through October 3, is Banned Books Week, an annual event celebrating our freedom to read. This coming Monday at 5:00 p.m. CDT, Banned Books Week is presenting a Facebook LIVE conversation with comics creator Gene Luen…
Jeff Trexler Sits Down with the Publishers Weekly More to Come Podcast
Last week, Interim Executive Director Jeff Trexler sat down for an interview with Calvin Reid of the Publishers Weekly More to Come podcast. This interview is a great introduction to Jeff Trexler and his work. It touches on his background…
CBLDF Joins NCAC in Protest Against Removal of Editorial Cartoon in Texas School
CBLDF has joined with the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) to oppose the ban of an editorial cartoon created by David Fitzsimmons. The cartoon was used as part of an assignment at Raymond Cooper Junior High School in Wylie, Texas.…