The biggest threat to the odious practice of book-banning has always been simple human ingenuity. When Alexander Solzhenitsyn began compiling his experiences—into what later became the Gulag Archipelago, his landmark indictment of the sprawling Soviet labor camp system—he was still a prisoner in that system. To escape detection, he would write those experiences down, scribbling on small scraps of paper, then memorizing the words he’d written, and burn the scraps afterward. This mechanism enabled him to preserve and retain his thoughts in the face of an oppressive regime, terrifying in its ubiquity and efficiency.
Banned in the Soviet Union, his work was initially published clandestinely and passed along to furtive readers—literally one copy at a time—in unbound form, even as it was hailed internationally as a masterpiece. Still, it remained widely unpublished in the Soviet Union until 1989.
America’s modern book-banning aficionados are neither as ubiquitous nor efficient as the KGB, but Republican lawmakers in Florida are apparently intent on indoctrinating an entire generation of young people. By proscribing the availability of certain books that highlight racism and advocate tolerance of sexual identity throughout the state, they have opted for a shotgun approach that places the onus on beleaguered public schools to fulfill their edicts. This serves the dual purpose of imposing their questionable notions of morality on young students while burdening a public school system they clearly despise with pointless, wasteful, and time-consuming busywork.
Still, at least one bookshop has found a satisfying way to turn the tables on the opportunistic Republican legislators who thrive on this censorship and intolerance. As reported by Lori Rozsa for The Washington Post, Firestorm Books—a self-described “little anarchist’s bookshop” in Asheville, North Carolina—was able to get its hands on over 22,000 books that were rejected under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2022 “parental rights” law. The best part? A great many of those books have been sent right back to eager young Florida readers.
RELATED STORY: Libs of TikTok vows to 'get porn' out of Oklahoma schools, while Florida challenges book banners
As Rozsa reports:
Rozsa writes that Duval County, which serves over 128,000 students, originally ordered 180 titles from Perfection Learning, which had included them in their “Essential Voices” collection to distribute to various schools. According to the Duval County Public Schools website, of those 180 titles, at least 34 were identified as books that “would not comply with new legislation or were not appropriate for elementary aged children.”
The Duval County website also provides the criteria by which the district determined which titles were, as Rozsa puts it, “problematic,” citing the state’s recent legislation. Those criteria included materials which “could be considered pornographic,” as well as the following categories:
Under Florida law, each school district can determine what to do with these “forbidden” books. Duval County elected to store them while completing its state-mandated review. Upon being contacted by Drew Jacks, vice president of Perfection Learning, Duval decided to return them.
As Rozsa reports, Jacks brought a crew of employees from Perfection Learning to pack up the books in a semi-trailer, then began searching for someone who would take them, since they were part of a prepackaged set that could not be resold.
Firestorm Books, in Asheville North Carolina, finally agreed to take them, even though the sheer number of books amounted to nearly three times Firestorm’s usual inventory. Firestorm then came up with a plan to distribute the books.
As Rozsa reports:
According to Ed Nawotka, writing for Publisher’s Weekly, the 22,500 books comprise a total of 46 separate titles. Firestorm is targeting “states where freedom to read is facing challenges,” and began that outreach by soliciting readers in the Sunshine State.
As Nawotka reports:
Rozsa notes that the haul includes a book about the history of the Pride Flag, a picture book featuring “iconic figures such as civil rights leader Rosa Parks,” and a biography of Harvey Milk.
As Rozsa reports, Firestorm volunteers are also including “surprise gifts” in the boxes being sent back to Florida and other places.
Publisher’s Weekly quotes one co-owner of the “self-described queer feminist collective” about the store’s outreach efforts.
In the age of the internet, the concept of banning books in this country to prevent people from reading them would seem to be inherently self-defeating. As observed by Eesha Pendharkar, writing for Education Week, the act of banning a book simply heightens students’ interest in reading it.
As Pendharkar notes:
So if Republicans’ newfound penchant for book-banning is so counterproductive, why do they do it?
The short answer: It’s way to score cheap, easy political points with ignorant or intolerant constituents.
RELATED STORY: This Moms for Liberty chapter's membership went from 200 to three. What's next?
But as Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers has noted, the broader end goal of inflicting these onerous laws on school districts is to weaken and ultimately destroy the public education system. Book bans serve that purpose well, by both draining resources from schools and intimidating teachers.
Republicans will almost certainly continue these efforts, as long as they can get political benefit out of it. But the books will continue to be read, whether conservatives like it or not.
Campaign Action
Banned in the Soviet Union, his work was initially published clandestinely and passed along to furtive readers—literally one copy at a time—in unbound form, even as it was hailed internationally as a masterpiece. Still, it remained widely unpublished in the Soviet Union until 1989.
America’s modern book-banning aficionados are neither as ubiquitous nor efficient as the KGB, but Republican lawmakers in Florida are apparently intent on indoctrinating an entire generation of young people. By proscribing the availability of certain books that highlight racism and advocate tolerance of sexual identity throughout the state, they have opted for a shotgun approach that places the onus on beleaguered public schools to fulfill their edicts. This serves the dual purpose of imposing their questionable notions of morality on young students while burdening a public school system they clearly despise with pointless, wasteful, and time-consuming busywork.
Still, at least one bookshop has found a satisfying way to turn the tables on the opportunistic Republican legislators who thrive on this censorship and intolerance. As reported by Lori Rozsa for The Washington Post, Firestorm Books—a self-described “little anarchist’s bookshop” in Asheville, North Carolina—was able to get its hands on over 22,000 books that were rejected under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2022 “parental rights” law. The best part? A great many of those books have been sent right back to eager young Florida readers.
RELATED STORY: Libs of TikTok vows to 'get porn' out of Oklahoma schools, while Florida challenges book banners
As Rozsa reports:
Rozsa writes that Duval County, which serves over 128,000 students, originally ordered 180 titles from Perfection Learning, which had included them in their “Essential Voices” collection to distribute to various schools. According to the Duval County Public Schools website, of those 180 titles, at least 34 were identified as books that “would not comply with new legislation or were not appropriate for elementary aged children.”
The Duval County website also provides the criteria by which the district determined which titles were, as Rozsa puts it, “problematic,” citing the state’s recent legislation. Those criteria included materials which “could be considered pornographic,” as well as the following categories:
Under Florida law, each school district can determine what to do with these “forbidden” books. Duval County elected to store them while completing its state-mandated review. Upon being contacted by Drew Jacks, vice president of Perfection Learning, Duval decided to return them.
As Rozsa reports, Jacks brought a crew of employees from Perfection Learning to pack up the books in a semi-trailer, then began searching for someone who would take them, since they were part of a prepackaged set that could not be resold.
Firestorm Books, in Asheville North Carolina, finally agreed to take them, even though the sheer number of books amounted to nearly three times Firestorm’s usual inventory. Firestorm then came up with a plan to distribute the books.
As Rozsa reports:
According to Ed Nawotka, writing for Publisher’s Weekly, the 22,500 books comprise a total of 46 separate titles. Firestorm is targeting “states where freedom to read is facing challenges,” and began that outreach by soliciting readers in the Sunshine State.
As Nawotka reports:
Rozsa notes that the haul includes a book about the history of the Pride Flag, a picture book featuring “iconic figures such as civil rights leader Rosa Parks,” and a biography of Harvey Milk.
As Rozsa reports, Firestorm volunteers are also including “surprise gifts” in the boxes being sent back to Florida and other places.
Publisher’s Weekly quotes one co-owner of the “self-described queer feminist collective” about the store’s outreach efforts.
In the age of the internet, the concept of banning books in this country to prevent people from reading them would seem to be inherently self-defeating. As observed by Eesha Pendharkar, writing for Education Week, the act of banning a book simply heightens students’ interest in reading it.
As Pendharkar notes:
So if Republicans’ newfound penchant for book-banning is so counterproductive, why do they do it?
The short answer: It’s way to score cheap, easy political points with ignorant or intolerant constituents.
RELATED STORY: This Moms for Liberty chapter's membership went from 200 to three. What's next?
But as Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers has noted, the broader end goal of inflicting these onerous laws on school districts is to weaken and ultimately destroy the public education system. Book bans serve that purpose well, by both draining resources from schools and intimidating teachers.
Republicans will almost certainly continue these efforts, as long as they can get political benefit out of it. But the books will continue to be read, whether conservatives like it or not.
Campaign Action