I'm really excited to share that I have now seen a phenomenal letter from a public library board in response to HR 7661, and it'll go out in the Literary Activism newsletter next week.

kelly jensen@heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Stellar Examples of Letters Supporting Libraries and Diverse Books What does a good letter to the editor about book censorship and protecting libraries look like? Here are some examples. That, plus this week's book censorship news. bookriot.com/examples-of-...

I received great responses to the pilot episodes of my podcast, I’m With the Banned, last fall. Now I'm launching it for real. Expect bi-weekly episodes. New episode feat. author Rex Ogle is imminent. Until then, here's my interview w/ Randi Pink. Enjoy. jarrettdapier.podbean.com/e/randi-pink...

I found this defense of author Roy Scranton to be compelling. I haven’t read him, but I would like to. According to this author, Scranton posits that the one thing that all living creatures share is the experience of suffering. And therein lies the key to compassion. lithub.com/lessons-in-l...

Lessons in Living in the Anthropocene (From the World’s Most Pessimistic Climate Writer)

I remember the thrill of transgression I felt the first time I pulled Roy Scranton’s Learning to Die in the Anthropocene: Reflections on the End of a Civilization off a shelf. It was at City Lights…

lithub.com

Finally, some good news: workers at Hachette are unionizing, and you can sign an open letter of support. This is the way! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Sign onto our open letter in solidarity with Hachette Workers Coalition!

To the management at Hachette Book Group, We are authors, publishing professionals, readers, and union supporters, and we are proud to express our full support for the Hachette Workers Coalition (HWC...

docs.google.com

Chicago! Come out and let's high-five @challengers.bsky.social on Saturday. I'll be there from 3-5p.

Challengers Comics@challengers.bsky.social · 4mo ago

WAKE NOW IN THE FIRE Event with JARRETT DAPIER this Sat, Apr 18, from 3pm to 5pm!

Finished reading “Wake Now in the Fire” by Jarret Dapier and AJ Dungo. A harbinger of the broader fight against censorship in the years to come, especially against marginalized voices, it is a story of how every voice matters, no matter how young.

WAKE NOW IN THE FIRE is a phenomenal YA & upper #MGLit graphic novel by librarian @jarrettdapier.bsky.social & illustrated by AJ Dungo An empowering story inspired by Chicago high students who stand up together & fight to overturn the ban of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis.💪🏼 youtu.be/nG3W2Kk9sYw?...

Uniting Against Book Bans - WAKE NOW IN THE FIRE, an Empowering Graphic Novel Based on True Events!

YouTube video by E Train Talks Books!

youtu.be

“Censorship of the word does not end on paper, but on the skin of human beings” (Herta Müller) Found in the incredible graphic novel I’m reading — Wake Now in The Fire by Jarret Dapier & AJ Dungo. A fictionalized account of a true event in Chicago, 2013. “A story of censorship, action, love, & hope"

a lot of chatter about Persepolis (deservedly!)--want to to put this new, related graphic novel on the radar

I receive AI scam emails daily. I've read enough to recognize the breathless flattery/vague BS offers. I swiftly delete. Today I received an email from someone running "the literary &editorial support team for author features at KPFA (radio in CA)." Wanted me for an interview. Seemed legit. Nice!

Thirteen years ago, a handful of us fought like hell to protect a book that humanized Iran. Jarrett Dapier and AJ Dungo tell an urgent story beautifully.

Chicago Tribune@chicagotribune.com · 5mo ago

Jarrett Dapier and A.J. Dungo's "Wake Now in the Fire" recalls how high school students at Lane Tech College Prep immediately stood up against the ban on the book "Persepolis."