Our schools and public libraries are under attack
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website | instagram | linktree | NEW! preorder the glade | order the bruising of qilwa | order the white guy dies first | tip jar Welcome to the Tuesday Telegrams, a semimonthly newsletter from award-winning author Naseem Jamnia. You're currently reading a writing-related Telegram, where I update you on projects, offer behind-the-scenes looks, delve into craft, and other publishing and writing topics. Can you believe it's March?? Truly baffling that time continues ever forward. For my final Telegram of 2024, I discussed getting involved on the local level and the importance of doing so. (Apologies for my international readers; I hope this inspires you to figure out how similar processes work in your area!) Across the US, there is a concerted effort on both the state and local levels to dismantle school libraries and strip public libraries of funding. Under the guise of "protecting our kids," groups like Moms for Liberty attack books written by queer and BIPOC authors as "pornographic" or "inappropriate"—and the result is that these books are pulled off shelves. Book bans are wildly, wildly unpopular. (So unpopular, in fact, that Fascist-In-Chief actually says they're a hoax. That's not a link to the press release, it's a link to how to read one critically.) That's why these groups don't call it book bans. They call it "common sense" or "parental rights." They say, "We don't want to ban books! We want to reshelve them! We want to rate them! WON'T ANYONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN??" But make no mistake—a book challenge that results in a book being removed from access is censorship. Rating books—who gets to rate them? under what criteria and expertise?—will disproportionately affect books written by and about marginalized experiences. And reshelving a book from its previously accessible and completely appropriate children's space into an adult space is a violation of children's First Amendment right under Sund v. City of Wichita Falls. Most states are currently in their legislative session. In Nevada, the legislature meets once every two years for 180 days—which means every session is absolutely packed. (Nevada still does legal stuff like it's the 1880s, but that's a different conversation.) Why do I bring this up in my writing newsletter? Because this legislative session, across the US, our school and public libraries are under attack. Currently, thirty-two (that's 32) states have introduced 107 (one-hundred and seven) anti-freedom to read bills. These might look like bills that seek to redefine obscenity outside of the Miller Test, guise itself under "parental rights" or "protecting minors," or directly strip away civil liberties. Some seek to criminalize and/or incarcerate individuals—mostly librarians and teachers, but for some, anyone—who hands children what they deem to be "pornographic," which is a code word for queer. The flip side is that twenty (20) states have introduced fifty-two (52, okay now I'm just being obnoxious) bills protecting the freedom to read. These bills are often based either in civil liberties or First Amendment rights, with the latter often more effective because who cares about civil rights, amirite? 🫠 Doing anything with the legislature is deliberately difficult. You have to know your officials, know how to get their attention, know how to access them. Understanding how bill draft requests and committees and state houses work helps you decide a strategy. But literally every industry has a lobbying arm designed to focus solely on this kind of work. There are whole organizations who just do lobbying. As individuals, it feels like we have little to no power to affect change on the national level. This is an opportunity to affect change on the state level, which, while not as immediate as the local level, can still impact your way of life. In Nevada, we have an online resource called the Nevada Electronic Legislative Information System (NELIS). It shows all the bills that are brought to your state capitol. The bills themselves are full of legalese, but there's a handy summary at the beginning that can give you the run-down. In NELIS, you can give a sort of public comment directly on each bill, or, simply, click a button to show whether you oppose or support the bill. I imagine every state has something very similar. They should be free to register and use, as it is part of your right as a citizen to engage in these processes. Alternatives to this are to find a local group in your area who is lobbing for things you care about, and ask about receiving legislative training. That training can help you give testimony during the bill hearing or a special interest day either in person or over the phone. Testimony is a few minute (depending on the state) comment given to the legislature about your thoughts on the bill. Training can also teach you about how things work in your state and what NELIS-equivalent your state has. I'm no expert in any of this, but I think it's vital to do what we can in our broken AF "democracy" in this critical "we've descended into fascism ahhhhh" period. I'm in a space where I wonder whether calling our national representatives actually does anything (since they seem to vote for genocide regardless), and in the midst of this legislative session, I wonder whether testifying is effective either. But make no mistake—the other side is doing it, which means their voices are heard regularly. Ours might as well be, too. Whatever bills pass and go into effect will have consequences that ricochet across the state. And when something has precedence at the state level, it's easy for another state to copy that language and borrow from that playbook. And how convenient that other countries can follow suit when they see it's happening in the US. Book Riot's Literary Activism newsletter regularly goes through what's happening on the freedom to read front. Most states have a freedom to read groups. Staying educated on what's happening in the first step to doing something about it. And if we don't protect our public libraries, very soon, we won't be able to do anything about it at all. News from The Glade: ARCs have arrived!Before publication, many books get physical printed proofs called advanced reader/reviewer copies (ARCs). Middle grade is an age category that doesn't often get printed ARCs, or not many of them, particularly if your book is midlist. (Most books are mildest.) Imagine my surprise, then, when my editor informed me last week that printed ARCs were in, and then they arrived in my mailbox!
There are two moments where a book feels alive to me, that it's actually a thing. The first is when I hold ARCs. The second is when I hear the audiobook. It is SO COOL to see The Glade laid out as an actual book! Digital ARCs are already live on Edelweiss, which should mean they'll be live on Netgalley in the coming weeks. We're just under three months from publication. Your preorder or library request would mean the world to me! Plus, I'll be announcing the preorder incentive art soon! Upcoming EventsNorthern Nevada locals: our upcoming Heretics' Workshop happens on March 9! Come learn how to give and receive critique. We also have several upcoming events for Freedom to Read Nevada. If you care about our libraries (especially given everything I wrote above), I hope you'll come to our members meeting on March 16 and/or the next screening of Free for All: The Public Library on March 29! Details in that first link. Solidarity CornerIf you have organizations or causes you'd like me to spotlight here, please send those links my way. We get through these things when we do so together.
To help Palestinians facing genocide (a "ceasefire" is not an end to violence):
Other groups undergoing atrocities:
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