Defend the Right to Read: Resources for Opposing Book Bans

Here are some resources for supporting public libraries and defending everyone’s right to read freely. I assembled them for the “Censoring Children’s Literature” class I taught last semester, and am sharing them now in connection with the Modern Language Association panel “Drag Queens, Stories about Black People, and Other Dangers,” held in the Liberty Room

Why Are People Afraid of Multicultural Children’s Books? (Geschichte der Gegenwart)

Why are people afraid of multicultural children’s books?  To answer that question, I look back to the roots of American censorship — which, as you doubtless know, has been enjoying a renaissance lately.  My piece makes its debut today in Geschichte der Gegenwart, a Swiss publication the title of which means History of the Present. That’s

The Lost Film Footage of Crockett Johnson

I recently finished writing my notes and afterword for Crockett Johnson’s Barnaby, Volume Five: 1950-1952 (Fantagraphics, forthcoming 2023). When I opened up the “Afterword” document, I found a two-paragraph fragment chronicling a holiday that Crockett Johnson (whose friends called him by his given name, Dave) and Ruth Krauss took in 1950 or 1951. A decade

50 Dr. Seuss books that are still available

Breaking up with your favorite racist childhood classic books (Washington Post)

Head on over to the Washington Post for “Breaking up with your favorite racist childhood classic books,” in which I point out that         It is possible to cancel a culture. There were once more than 300 indigenous languages spoken in the United States. Only about 175 of those languages remain today. Colonization, genocide, forced

A Democracy, If We Can Keep It.

Worried about the 2020 US Elections? I haven’t slept well in months either. But I do have some words of encouragement. Donald Trump’s presidency will end in January 2021. This is not wishful thinking. And his removal from office will require our active participation. But there are many reasons for hope. And that should inspire

Kansas’ Distinguished Professors call for end to International Student Ban

Yesterday, 98 distinguished professors from four Kansas universities called for an immediate end to the Trump administration’s cruel and reckless decision to revoke the visas of any international students attending a college that goes fully on-line this fall. The full text is on Kansas State University’s news pages, and Kansas State University’s English Department’s blog.

proposed Trump logo, satirically created by Sam Kuo

Why Trump Jails Crying Children. How We Resist. (A Twitter Essay)

1. The Trump regime feels threatened by crying children because they – and all refugees – refute the Trumpist/fascist lie that humanity depends upon citizenship. – Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018 2. As Hannah Arendt wrote of refugees, they “have lost all distinctive political qualities,” “lost all other qualities and relationships–except that they [are]

RESIST! Year #2 begins NOW.

On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s successful hacking of American democracy (congrats, Vlad!), a bit of encouragement for those who oppose the Trump regime’s assaults on healthcare, the environment, women’s rights, civil rights, human rights, the very idea of rights, basic human decency, and truth itself.  I’ve divided this into three sections: (1) a resistance

Brian Herrera: "I'm With Us" (301 of 304): "Hope requires" — Philip Nel

Resolutions for a New Academic Year: A survival guide for higher education in perilous times (Chronicle of Higher Education)

Over at The Chronicle of Higher Education today, I have a piece on “Resolutions for a New Academic Year: A survival guide for higher education in perilous times.” Here’s one of those resolutions: Teach students to use language well. We can help them to be wary of lazy euphemism — not just because it is bad