#freadom

Spooky season is upon us! To celebrate I put together a few designs promoting books and libraries. If you like them, feel free to use them! These are four of my poster designs! Again, these posters are absolutely free for you to print and use!

Schools and public libraries are under attack and need your support. They are facing quiet defunding, book bans, and acts of hate. Please consider contacting your local representative to ask that these institutions remain funded and protected, and show your support by stopping by your local library.

For additional Halloween freebies celebrating libraries and reading, click the link here!

Imaging a World with You

A poster was created in collaboration with the School Library Journal and Children’s Book Council to support LGBTQIA+ children and teens. I was honored to make a piece in support of acceptance in literature, especially with how incredibly hostile folks have been to books in this, to quote Carl Lennertz, “era of intolerance and censorship”.

READ THE BANNED

A mixed media zine I created in art class a few months ago

I have a nephew who lives in Utah (not Mormon, nor conservative). He goes to a charter school. They aren't allowed anything that may be 'disruptive', and the conservative Christian staff use that to their advantage. My nephew wanted one - ONE - rainbow stick to put on his water bottle when I came out as gay. I gave him several, and he said he would have to put it on the bottom of the water bottle so none of the teachers saw the rainbow dinosaur (that was in no way exclusively LGBTQIA+ themed) and took it away.

So am I surprised by this development? No.

Am I mad?

People.

I am God. Damned.

FURIOUS.

This bullshit has got to stop. There is NO REASON to censor books a school, beyond reading level. By which I mean, don't have Lord of the Flies in an elementary school library. (The reading/comprehension level is likely too high for a majority of students to fully grasp.)

Books should cover a wide variety of topics for all student interests.

Books should encourage learning and exploring and challenge preconceived notions and ideas.

Books should be available to be used to illustrate complex topics that kids might have a hard time understanding, like death or illness or other upsetting topics.

Books should take kids away to worlds they can only imagine, and encourage them to question everything, from how ants carry so much weight to whether God exists.

Banning books in this manner is not only political over-reach that encourages censorship and is (likely, hopefully) unconstitutional, it is LAZY PARENTING.

You don't want your kid to read 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' because the character is rude? Fine. But you can't force another parent not to let their kid read it.

You don't think teens should have access to books about revolution, magic, exploring budding romance/sexuality, and standing against authority figures? Fine. But you can't force another parent to keep it out of their kids hands.

You think it's your way or the highway?

Try again bitch.

Sarah Maas is one of the most popular YA authors in the world.

Judy Blume is a national treasure who has given so many young people the words to express themselves through puberty and beyond.

Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake takes a crack at a pig-infested future and warns readers against blindly trusting big tech.

What Girls Are Made Of by Elana Arnold is a poignant look at what love means when you're only 16.

Ellen Hopkins approaches addiction and drug use from her own personal experiences with her daughter, offering readers a look into and a warning against drug use.

Rupi Kaur is a poet who's words are twists of silk that illustrate thriving against violence and abuse.

Craig Thompson's Blankets is a beautiful graphic novel that illustrates the way love and religion can clash, and how as one grows, they have to come to their own conclusions about both.

None of these books are dangerous.

None of these books are pornographic or obscene.

None of these books deserve to taken from the hands of readers.

And the only thing you've done, Utah, is piss off a world full of readers and prove that not only do your leaders no understand the dangers of censorship on this scale, but

Art Credit to Al Abbaz