A glamorous newscaster stands before the camera crew, microphone in hand.
“Tonight we’re coming to you live from Yourtown, America, where it’s Banned Book Week, and the number one thing on everyone’s mind—are your books banned?”
She holds the microphone out toward the camera, which swings around to reveal a startled author.
“Um…no.”
The camera crew pans back to the newscaster.
“But would it be, if they knew what was in it?”
The author’s gaze darts nervously to the sides.
“Oh, definitely. For sure.”
Maybe it seems comical and far-fetched, Reader, but it’s happening in towns and cities all across the US today. And though Banned Book Week may have been a month ago, more and more books are being banned each week for the dumbest of reasons.
And worst of all, the people banning them haven’t even bothered to READ them in the first place!
Which is shocking, given that I live in a country that prides itself on granting its citizens the freedom of speech above all things.
Fortunately, I’m lucky enough to live in a state where the act of banning books is illegal. (Can I get a round of applause for California? 🐻) Sadly, most are not so lucky, Reader.
‘Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.’ — Voltaire
But let’s be real here, it’s not that big a leap to go from the banning of books to the burning 🔥 of them. Anyone who’s even skimmed history could tell you that.
And as I sit here looking at my shelves of Floridian contraband, I begin to wonder…
…will my books be banned next?
Will my books be ripped from the hands of a teen reader?
Will they be called dirty? Erotic? A sex crime?
Will they be thrown in a dumpster as a performative political stunt?
Will they be burned?
It might seem like a dystopian nightmare that only belongs in the pages of Fahrenheit 451, but the terrifying truth is we’re nearly there now.
But there’s still time.
To fix things.
To rise up and demand change.
To say, I want to live in a world with diverse voices. Where representation matters. And where history isn’t rewritten with lies.
AND WHERE BOOKS AREN’T BANNED.
Well, Reader, I hope that wherever you are in the world, you have the freedom to read whatever you choose.
Your cohort in storytelling,
Kat Vancil
🐱
PS 👉 If you’re looking to read books that would most definitely be contra-banned in Florida, check out my book lists!
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J.A. Helling, Storyteller
Science Fiction, Fantasy & Sapphic Pride 🏳️🌈
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