Oregon School District Bans BLM, LGBTQ+ Symbols
(New York, NY) — After moving to ban LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter symbols, a school district in Oregon is now in the midst of developing a policy to… More
The PEN Pod: On Using Storytelling to Push Back Against Systems with Imbolo Mbue
“This story came from [my] childhood fascination: this idea of people pushing back against systems that are way more powerful than them.” More
The PEN Pod: What to Expect in the Final Days Before the Election with Suzanne Nossel
“It’s going to be extremely important for people to remain patient, not to jump the gun or jump to conclusions.” More
The PEN Pod: The Power and Immediacy of Poetry with Kevin Young
“I often say that poems are the best form of transport. They change us, they move us, and they move us across time and space.” More
The PEN Pod: Nurturing Children’s Curiosity with Tami Charles
“Yes, this is a love letter to my son. Yes, this is a love letter to Black and Brown children, but this is also an affirmation to all children.” More
PEN America to Honor Darnella Frazier, Young Woman Who Documented George Floyd’s Murder
“With nothing more than a cell phone and sheer guts, Darnella changed the course of history in this country, sparking a bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-Black… More
The PEN Pod: On Increased Media Literacy, Targeted Disinformation, and Global Protests with Suzanne Nossel
“Just as we’re teaching kids to analyze a short story. . . I think we ought to be teaching them the tools to navigate the information landscape.” More
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Authors are being disinvited from school visits. It's happening all over, not always publicly. Seems to frequently be b/c of a single parent's complaint, controlling what all kids and families can learn. A shame for both the authors and students alike. https://www.al.com/educationlab/2023/01/hoover-schools-cancel-black-history-month-author-visit-after-parent-complaint.html
School librarians vilified as the ‘arm of Satan’ in book-banning wars https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-01-27/school-librarians-vilified-as-the-arm-of-satan-in-book-banning-wars
I have been thinking a lot of educational gag orders. @PENamerica is a great resource. https://pen.org/issue/educational-censorship/
Almost forty years ago, I took an undergraduate history class on WWII with Professor Larry Gelfand, a well-respected teacher and scholar @uiowa. 1/