Censored: Stories, Speech, and the Battle for Books

Wednesday, October 7, 5:00–6:00 p.m. EST

Register to attend on Zoom or join us to watch in person in the Goodwin Private Dining Room (Moody, 1st floor).

This virtual panel features a conversation with Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies—one of the first picture books to embrace LGBTQ+ themes—and Melissa McCoul, the former Senior Lecturer at Texas A&M who was let go after a student challenged her lecture on gender representation in children’s books. Our guests will discuss their journeys through censorship and controversy.

The discussion will be live streamed but will not be recorded. Register for the Zoom live stream or go through the line in Moody, bring your dinner, and join us!

Lesléa Newman has created 90 books for readers of all ages including Rainbow Cookies; Joyful Song: A Naming Story; Something Sweet: A Sitting Shiva Story; The Babka Sisters; Heather Has Two Mommies; and Sparkle Boy. Her literary awards include two National Jewish Book Awards, two American Library Association Stonewall Honors, the Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award, and the Massachusetts Book Award. From 2008–2010, she served as the poet laureate of Northampton, MA.

Melissa McCoul is currently a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Illinois Chicago, where she teaches first-year writing. She received her PhD from the University of Notre Dame in 2017, where she researched gender and play in 19th century novels for girls. At Notre Dame, she also earned a Gender Studies graduate minor and taught classes in gender studies, children’s literature, and 19th century novels. Recently, she worked as a Senior Lecturer at Texas A&M, where she specialized in diverse, contemporary children’s and young adult fiction, particularly queer middle grade fiction.

Community event in Roanoke, Roanoke city County, VA 24020.