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Reposted by Jessica Horton

Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 23h

Hello #BookSky Are you still figuring out what you're doing for #BannedBooksWeek We'll help! Here's a framework for you:
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Here's what we mean...

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Reposted by Jessica Horton

Let Utah Read @letutahread.bsky.social · 22h

These 18 books are currently banned in Utah schools state-wide. If you look closely, you'll notice a trend of female and minority authors, and LGBTQIA+ stories. It's important for us to come together, read and discuss these books, and fight for our freedom to read.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 19h

The threenager had school pictures today, and she was not having it. Her scowl was one for the ages. When I asked her what happened, she said, “It’s just so hard to smile today. So hard.” And yeah, I hear ya, kiddo.

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Reposted by Jessica Horton

Leanne (L. A.) Schwartz @schwartzwords.bsky.social · 1d

What’s wrong with this picture? While I’m a longtime supporter of Banned Books Week, I’d love to see more displays in libraries and bookstores showcasing the actually most commonly banned books—BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized books. Decades-old bestsellers aren’t truly in danger.

My kind of trouble held up before a banned books display reading “have you read these banned books?” With to kill a mockingbird and Matilda.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

There is so much more I could say. But the toddler is calling. And that's the thing. We all have full lives outside of fighting book bans. But you don't have to do it all. Pick one thing a day to fight fascism and then do it. Nothing will ever change if we just yell at each other from the sidelines.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

15. Do your homework. There are so many organizations and people who are doing good work. Read and listen what they have to say. Don't assume you know better because you're an expert in scrolling on the internet.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

14. Don't fight censorship with censorship. We don't ban the bible to score cheap points. It always backfires and creates more work for those advocates who are fighting for lasting change.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

13. Listen. Talk to librarians, teachers, authors, and other stakeholders. Listen to what they say about what they need and how you can best support them, and then do those things.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

12. Get involved! Volunteer in your local school library. Join the PTA and help out with the book fair. Sign up for your local freedom to read organization.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

11. Talk to other parents. Despite us being five years into this book banning madness, far too many people don't know what is happening. Tell them what is happening and invite them to do an action item with you.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

10. Show up to school board meetings. Make public comment, look your school board members in the eye, and explain why a book has value.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

9. Submit written public comment and/or email school board members in support of challenged books. Say why those books provide value.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

8. Demand that books be reviewed in their entirety. Reading books as a whole means they are more likely to stay on the shelves. It’s hard to argue that a book has no serious value when you look beyond the cherry-picked passages.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

7. Speak up! Advocate for policy changes that better protect students' right to read.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

6. If a book is removed, ask the district for a clear explanation that explains their reasoning for removing the book with specific examples/references to the actual text.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

5. Read the books being challenged. Get the context for the book as a whole.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

4. Track book challenges in your district. Request copies of challenge forms. Figure out why a book is being challenged.

Relatedly, compare the cherry-picked passages with the book's actual text. Sometimes they don't match and a book will be banned for something that it doesn't even say.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

3. Be informed! Learn what your school district's library policy says. Hold them to it.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

2. Meet your school board member. Let them know that you are watching their decisions on book bans and that you care.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

1. Reach out! Meet your school librarian. Ask how you can support their work.

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 1d

Last week I was scheduled to give a presentation on grassroots activism at a university conference on censorship. That conference was censored to the point of being cancelled. So in honor of banned books week, here is some of the info I would have shared on fighting book bans at a local level:

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Reposted by Jessica Horton

Leanne (L. A.) Schwartz @schwartzwords.bsky.social · 2d

I don’t have the same kind of time this year to prepare a week of posts, but reminder as Banned Books Week starts to support libraries, librarians standing up against book bans, and living marginalized authors! This week and always!

My calendar showing banned books week (plus a cat sticker)

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Reposted by Jessica Horton

skellyton bones jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 4d

A national expert on censorship was censored by their own university employer in relation to a conference the university was having on . . . censorship.

Can't make up where we are now. Where, frankly, we've always been but now, the masks are just off.

Richard Price (they/them) @advincensorship.bsky.social · 4d

Well we are starting to draw in press now. I'm happy they have been linking to my actual post, explains why I've had my typical months worth of hits (1200ish) in two days.
www.sltrib.com/amplify-utah...

‘I was ordered to lie’: Weber State censorship event canceled, after organizers said school wanted to censor speakers

Weber State University's annual Unity Conference tried to tackle the subject of censorship. Organizers said they canceled when school officials said they would have to censor some of the speakers' mat...

www.sltrib.com

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Reposted by Jessica Horton

Richard Price (they/them) @advincensorship.bsky.social · 4d

A second try at responding to the demand for university censorship. Honestly they are just trying to dodge the real reason for the demand and I can't allow it to go by. adventuresincensorship.com/blog/2025/10...

Digging the Hole Deeper: Censoring the Discussion of Censorship — Adventures in Censorship

So I helped stir up a hornet’s nest with my public release about my university’s demand to censor speakers at a censorship conference. The University is not getting favorable press from the absurdit...

adventuresincensorship.com

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Jessica Horton @jessicahorton.bsky.social · 5d

This is the smallest of things, but I ran three miles without stopping for the first time ever today. It's taken me months to work up to this point, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it (yay Haglund's deformity!). But I did it, and my heels are fine. Here's to more runs to come!

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