Catching up with PW's Andrew Albanese
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In conjunction with National Library Week, the American Library Association this week released its 2019 State of America’s Libraries Report, reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer. Remarkably, a list of the year’s top 10 most “challenged” books – novels and other works threatened with censorship or banning – turns out to include eleven titles.
“The discussion around that list reveals a disturbing trend: the use of increasingly ‘extreme tactics’ targeting LGBTQ materials—including, in one case, an actual book burning in Iowa,” he tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.
“There were some old standards on the list – including titles by Sherman Alexie and Jay Asher – and LGBTQ topics were frequently cited. The new #1 challenged book is George by Alex Gino, banned for mentioning ‘dirty magazines’ and including a transgender character.”
Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.
