Beloved Blues

Despite being one of the most frequently banned authors, Toni Morrison’s work has inspired countless others to tell stories outside the mainstream. We take a closer look at Morisson's writing, her legacy, and her impact on the anti-censorship movement.Read the transcript here.Our call to action for this episode:Learn how you can support and defend public libraries at Libraries for the People.More resources:Read Toni Morrison's books. If you're a young person, you can apply for a Books Unbanned card to check out digital library books for free.Listen to Toni Morrison's full 2016 talk that was part of the BPL Presents series Brooklyn by the Book, co-curated by Community Books, BPL Presents & Congregation Beth Elohim.Watch Toni Morrison's speech when she accepted PEN America's PEN/Borders Literary Service Award in 2008.Learn more about the National Coalition Against Censorship's Student Advocates for Speech program. Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library or New York Public Library.

Om Podcasten

Brooklyn Public Library is full of stories. Borrowed brings the very best of them to you. Borrowed is a narrative series about superhero librarians, neighborhood stories and what it means to be a free, democratic place in today’s changing world. We tell stories about libraries during natural disasters, the challenges of homelessness, and NYC’s fraught relationship with trash. Borrowed and Banned is our limited series about America's ideological war with its bookshelves. From September to December 2023, we released ten episodes featuring the stories of students on the frontlines, librarians and teachers whose livelihoods are endangered when they speak up, and writers whose books have become political battleground.   For transcripts, pictures, book lists, and resources, please visit our web page: bklynlib.org/podcasts