What happens when books are banned? Actor and author Jay Ellis thinks “we lose imagination and creativity… we lose what makes all of us important.” Filmed on the show floor at the 2024 American Library Association Annual Conference in San Diego, this first in a series of videos brought to you from PRH and ALA features 7 authors who are speaking out against book bans and speaking up in support of our freedom to read! Check out Jay Ellis, Jane Pek, M. T. Anderson, David F. Walker, Edward Burns, Cece Bell, and Del Sandeen in the videos below or visit our YouTube playlist.
Actor and Author Jay Ellis on his journey with books and the danger of quieting others’ voices
Author Jane Pek on the banned book that changed her life
Author M. T. Anderson on the importance of local libraries and our freedom to read
Comic book writer David F. Walker on the danger of book banning
Writer-director-actor Edward Burns on how The Catcher in the Rye influenced him as an artist
Author Cece Bell on how diverse books can help us “be friends with everybody”
Author Del Sandeen on the need for diverse perspectives
