Episode 1: The Past, Present, and Future of Book Bans

PEN America has documented nearly 23,000 book bans in public schools nationwide since 2021 with nearly 7,000 taking place in the 2024-25 school year. Coinciding with Banned Books Week, Santha and John discuss their own personal experiences with censorship in the classroom, which pale in comparison to the challenges faced by their colleagues in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and others. Then, Dr. Ann David, professor at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio and co-editor of The Impacts of Censorship, joins the conversation to offer some context on the national picture of censorship in schools, as well as a practical "how-to" guide for teachers who face book challenges. 

Dr. Ann David’s Recommendations and Other Resources:

• Dangerous Ideas: A Brief History of Censorship in the West, from the Ancients to Fake News by Eric Berkowitz
• National Report of Teacher’s Experiences with School Justification for Book Censorship Ricki Ginzberg, Kyungae Che
• School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education by Laura Pappano
• Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent in Mahmoud v. Taylor
• Justice Gorsuch discussing Pride Puppy
• Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop
• Lots of Ways to Be Brave: A Teacher’s Guide to Facing Censorship (iNCTE)
• List of PEN America’s most commonly banned books

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