On October 2, celebrate Banned Books Week with an evening of stirring readings from erotic classics at Fifty Shades of Banned: A Celebration of Erotic Literature. The event starts at 8 PM at the Village Pourhouse on 64 3rd Ave (11th Street Entrance, across from Webster Hall) and benefits New York free speech charities National Coalition Against Censorship and Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
If one thing attracts the attention of the would-be censor, it’s sex. Depictions of sexuality in books, comics, art and film have drawn the eager attentions of Vice Squads and Morality Police since long before the days of Anthony Comstock. Those censorship challenges continue to this day, and are fought by the important work of NCAC and CBLDF.
Fifty Shades of Banned will take place at the Village Pourhouse on 3rd Avenue in the East Village on Tuesday, October 2 at 8 p.m. The event will feature dramatic readings from censored lit including The Story of O, Joe Blow, Howl, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and Fifty Shades of Grey by sexologist and author Dr. Logan Levkoff, erotica author Rachel Kramer Bussel, comedy group MURDERFIST and more.
Come for the classic smut, stay for a chance to win a signed copy of Fifty Shades or other exciting raffle prizes courtesy of Babeland. All door donations and raffle proceeds will go to benefit free speech defenders NCAC and CBLDF and therefore ensure that we all have access to stimulating lit for years to come.
Who: The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund & the National Coalition Against Censorship
Where: The Village Pourhouse, 64 3rd Ave in the East Village
When: Tuesday, Oct. 2, 8 p.m., doors open at 7:30
How Much: $10 suggested door donation, includes raffle ticket
Featuring: Banned Books, 2 for 1 Abita Beers, $5 Fat Tuesday menu of hurricanes, hand grenades, po’ boys and jambalaya.
For more information, visit Blogging Censorship (http://ncacblog.wordpress.com/), www.cbldf.org, or visit us on Facebook and invite everyone but your mother: http://www.facebook.com/events/466670673364331/?notif_t=plan_user_joined
About the National Coalition Against Censorship:
The National Coalition Against Censorship (“NCAC”) is an alliance of more than 50 national non-profit literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups that are united in their commitment to freedom of expression. Founded in 1974, NCAC has worked to protect the First Amendment rights of thousands of artists, authors, teachers, students, librarians, readers, museum-goers, and others around the country.
About the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund:
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals. https://www.cbldf.org