May We All Become Rebels During Banned Books Week

Because we have a right to ideas

Literature is not a luxury. Ideas belong to everybody. And if a book is worth banning, it’s worth reading.

Hundreds of books have been banned or challenged. The censors cite their predictable reasons. They say the subject matter is obscene. But it all comes down to one thing: there are ideas and perspectives expressed in these books that certain people don’t want us thinking.

Writers tend to look ahead. They tend to see the flaws in our systems and impending cultural shifts and address them in their work. The authors of banned books are the ones whose prescience makes people uncomfortable. Their insights strike a raw nerve with those who see change as a threat.

But books should challenge us. They should even make us uncomfortable, in a healthy way. Challenging our own assumptions and biases is how we make progress.

We are in the midst of Banned Books Week (September 18–24, 2022), seven days dedicated to reading the books certain people don’t want us to read and exploring the ideas they don’t want us to have.

During this week, writers, readers, publishers, booksellers, and anyone who believes in freedom of speech fights to bring awareness to issues of censorship. Lists of banned books are circulated. Resources are shared. And we shed light on voices that are being silenced.

This week is also a reminder to us to read these books while we can.

Once an author’s words have seeped into your consciousness, once they have taken root in your mind, they belong to you. A book can be taken out of your hands, but no one can erase its impact. So, read banned books. Read them now and read them until they’re ash. This may be the one week out of the year dedicated to bringing awareness to these books, but we need to fight for them every day.

Read. Spread these ideas. Let them be afraid of us.

Key Message: Read banned books. They contain the ideas that will change the world.

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