Schools Block Donated Dictionaries Amid Ron DeSantis’s Book Crackdown
All book donations and purchases in the Sarasota County School District are at a standstill until at least January due to the new law, HB 1467, which requires books to be approved by state-certified media specialists. However, this state-certified media specialist job has not been created yet for the district, so no books can be approved. As the new school year approaches, this means that regular new donations to Sarasota elementary schools of even dictionaries from a local rotary club are currently barred. Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker says the act violates the First Amendment and is impermissibly vague.
New Fantastic Four Comic Writer Previews His Plans for Marvel’s First Family
Marvel’s current Fantastic Four comic, as written by Dan Slott since 2018, is coming to an end with issue #46 later this month as writer Ryan North and artist Iban Coello take over the comic. The duo plan to focus on smaller, more intimate, self-contained stories rather than big epics. Alex Ross is also joining the team to create the photorealistic cover art.
An Online Petition Fighting North East ISD’s Book Ban is Just Shy of Its Goal
A Change.org petition started eight months ago urging North East Independent School District to reinstate banned books from State Rep. Matt Krause’s list of 850 titles that could cause students “psychological distress” is about 500 signatures short of reaching its 15,000 signature goal. The petition emphasizes that the district is under no obligation to comply with the Krause List and argues that because the books on the list explore topics on race, sexuality, LGBTQ+ issues, and more, the removals are an attack marginalized students.
Salman Rushdie and the Power of Stories
Novelist Salman Rushdie was attacked onstage on Friday, August 12, 2022, in Chautauqua, New York, suffering at least 10 stab wounds to his neck and abdomen. The attack has been linked to the fatwā — a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law, calling for Rushdie’s death as well as the death of his publishers — that has been following Rushdie for much of his career due to the religiously controversial nature of his writing. It’s a demonstration of the power of defending the freedom of speech to challenge and examine the ways we look at ourselves and each other.