Newsletter Feature: A Must-Read for Advocates of Free Expression and Public Education

Trouble In Censorville - Featuring my story!

Dear Readers,

Before starting this newsletter, I was a casualty of the culture wars sweeping our nation. As a high school librarian in Verona, NJ, I was let go because my principal believed I focused too much on book displays that celebrated LGBTQ+ and racially diverse books.

This experience turned me into an outspoken activist against the censorship many of us face in the library profession. I'm excited to share a powerful new book that is both an essential read and a call to action: Trouble in Censorville: The Far Right’s Assault on Public Education and The Teachers Who Are Fighting Back. This book, coming out in July, includes my story and those of many other brave school librarians and educators who have faced censorship.

Book Description:

From Florida's “Don’t Say Gay” law to Texas closing school libraries, America is experiencing a far-right assault on public education. Trouble in Censorville offers a teacher’s-eye view of this radical crusade, backed by well-funded, far-right political interests. Christian nationalists, white supremacists, political action committees like Moms for Liberty, and profiteers are relentlessly attacking teachers, students, and public education.

In this book, educators from states like Florida, Texas, Kentucky, New Jersey, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Washington share their harrowing experiences. They describe being threatened, stalked, doxxed, ostracized, smeared as “pedophiles” and “Marxists,” placed on leave, and fired for teaching historical truth and racial justice, supporting LGBTQ+ students, and even for wearing "insufficiently" feminine attire. Their stories reveal the human cost of these attacks, from social isolation and institutional betrayal to severe impacts on mental and physical health.

But these educators are not backing down. They are mobilizing colleagues, parents, and community members who believe in the freedom to read, think critically, and challenge narrow-mindedness. Their stories of frontline resistance offer a battle plan for confronting censorship, rallying support, and defending public schools.

Trouble in Censorville also includes a timeline situating today’s far-right war on public education within American history, moving from Reconstruction to McCarthyism to the Black Lives Matter movement and the Trump presidency. Terrifying, infuriating, and inspiring, this book sounds the alarm for a democracy under threat.

Why You Should Buy This Book:

• Powerful Personal Stories: Gain insight into the real-life impacts of censorship from educators on the front lines.

• Call to Action: Learn how to join the fight against censorship and support the freedom to read and think critically.

• Historical Context: Understand the broader historical context of today’s attacks on public education.

Trouble in Censorville is more than a book; it's a manifesto for defending our democratic values. Pre-order your copy today and stand with us in the fight against censorship and for the future of public education.

Warm regards,

Elissa