Unsealed: An Open Letter from No More Victims Road
In this open letter, Antwann Lamont Johnson, Sr. considers if the Department of Corrections actually contributes to harm reduction. More
New Report: 28% Rise in School Book Bans Over First Half of 2022-23 School Year
“The heavy-handed tactics of state legislators are mandating book bans, plain and simple,” said Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer of PEN America. “Some politicians like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis… More
Bill to Ban TikTok is a Sweeping Resort to Censorship that Would Undermine Free Expression, Says PEN America
Proposals such as Hawley’s–including the recently introduced Terminate TikTok on Campus Act (H.R. 231), which would prohibit federal funding of higher education institutions unless they ban TikTok on institution-owned… More
Good News that Wentzville School District Returns 200 Temporarily Banned Books to Shelves But PEN America Raises Concern that 17 Removed Books Are Still Inaccessible
“When legislation and threats of criminalization are enacted without guidelines, what we see are librarians and school officials operating out of fear and excess caution,” said Kasey Meehan, program… More
PEN America Finds Missouri Schools Banned Nearly 300 Books Since August, in Response to New Law Criminalizing “Explicit Sexual Material”
The letter reminds school district officials that, “Book bans limit opportunities for students to see themselves in literature and to build empathy for experiences different from their own. They… More
Spiegelman, Atwood Among Signers of PEN America Letter Against Missouri Book Bans
Art Spiegelman, Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Lois Lowry, Roxane Gay, Rupi Kaur, and Alison Bechdel are among the authors and illustrators who signed a PEN America open letter protesting… More
Black Reporters in Conversation: Karen Jacobs
"The St. Louis American has been the most trusted voice of Missouri's African-American community for almost 100 years." More
Missouri Governor Bans Reporters From Briefings
Gov. Parson’s decision to exclude members of the media from his daily briefings is a disturbing blow to transparency and press access at a time when both are desperately… More
Not Surprised But Appalled: Readers and Writers Speak Out Against Missouri Book Banning Bill
Lawmakers in Missouri have proposed a bill that would legalize arbitrary book bans and potentially land librarians in prison for sharing banned books with children. The news quickly picked… More
Proposed Book Banning Bill in Missouri Could Imprison Librarians
(New York, NY) – A bill proposed in Missouri this month represents a transparent, shameful attempt to legalize book banning in public libraries within the state, PEN America said… More
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