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Plum Creek Literacy Festival Canceled
HomeNewsPlum Creek Literacy Festival Canceled
by Elisha Meyer
Concordia’s Plum Creek Literacy Festival’s Children’s Festival and the Adult Conference, scheduled for Friday and Saturday on campus, have been canceled after multiple authors and illustrators withdrew due to allegations of discrimination.
The announcement was made by Dr. Dylan Teut, executive director of the festival, and posted on Concordia’s website and social media pages.
The allegations surfaced after a book from one of the presenting authors, Eliot Schrefer, was not included in one of the pre-festival sale list. The novel, “The Darkness Outside Us” was removed from the sale, which Schrefer said was a discriminatory action.
“He thought it was a discriminatory reason his novel wasn’t included, which was not the case,” said Seth Meranda, senior director of marketing and communications.
Meranda reported that the reason the book was not included was due to the book’s content being deemed inappropriate for his target audience at the festival.
“His publication was actually a book that’s for older children, fresh adults actually,” Meranda said. “And he was presenting to a you
While this was happening in one corner of the state, quiet censorship was also taking hold during discussions to select the 2022–2023 Golden Sower Award nominees. The Golden Sower Awards honor children’s literature in the categories of picture books, chapter books, and novels. These lists, like others throughout the country, are used widely by schools and libraries in collections and classrooms. Librarians and educators can volunteer to be readers for the Golden Sowers award. They suggest and discuss books throughout the year, then vote on which books should get nominees. These initial reader volunteers are invited to attend the annual selection meetings (with a Zoom option due to COVID). The nominee lists are set during these meetings, pending availability check with the publishers. This inspect is the only criteria for removing a novel from the nomination list — if a publisher can’t ensure enough copies for purchase, it won’t be included since it’s hard to access.
An annual award is bestowed upon one of the books in each category of nominees, and that voting is open to students throughout the declare. Eligibility to vote requires a student reader to h
Taking a Stay Against Discrimination at Guide Fairs
Authors Eliot Schrefer and Brandy Colbert withdrew from separate book appearances within the past year over censorship concerns—Schrefer from the Plum Creek Literacy Festival and Colbert from a Ebony History Month presentation. Below, they discuss why they took a stand.
Colbert: Eliot, we experienced surprisingly similar situations with book censorship over the past year. First, you were position to attend the Plum Creek Literacy Festival and then withdrew after seeing that your LGBTQ YA book The Darkness Outside Us was missing from the order form—along with another celebrated LGBTQ YA book—and discovering that the host college had a policy to discipline students for “active involvement in a homosexual lifestyle.”
Schrefer: Yes, that captures it! Then, a few months later, you were invited to present to a institution district in Texas, except they said a several days beforehand that they didn’t want you discussing your newest book, Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, as it was “too controversial.” When your
I imagine most people interested in children’s books understand what happened a not many years ago with the legal dispute between the Maurice Sendak estate and the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia. Here is a recap of the whole thing, in case: Libraries, Authors, and Literary Estates: The Complex Case of Rosenbach v. Sendak (2016)
Personally, I ponder those books that Sendak lovingly collected and was inspired by, should include remained in Ridgefield, CT, in the house where he lived and worked. But a judge decided otherwise and so they ended up at the Rosenbach. At the day of the decision I thought: that’s sad, but at least these books will stay together and will be accessible to anyone who studies or simply loves Sendak and his work. I achieve now how naive I was. All those books were just put up for auction by the Rosenbach. I don’t procure it. It’s a authentic shame that such a unique collection will be dismantled, unless someone buys it all and keeps it whole, which is unlikely. It shows closed-mindedness and no respect for Maurice’s life.
I don’t realize if this link will still work after the auction is over, but here it is: “Selections from Maurice Sendak’s Personal Collec
Not Straight Enough
Four starred reviews
"This gem of a story by Ruzzier stars a boy in a green T-shirt that doesn’t quite face his shorts. The sparse text, the tidiness with which Ruzzier works out his concept, and the endearing qualities of his two heroes make the book a miniature classic." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"One or two words per page and assist from the illustrations make this an accessible easy reader. What, at first, appears to be a customary story of a teen and his canine turns out to be so much more—and so much more fun." ―Booklist, starred review
"There’s no alpha male here, just two genial, respectful, loving creatures. An original premise, a bare-bones chat of thirty-two words, perfect picture-book pacing, and deliciously transparent watercolors combine for an emotional punch." ―The Horn Publication, starred review
"Ruzzier’s unique cartoon-style, ink and watercolor illustrations propel most of the story, offering plenty of visual interest and cues for pre-readers to decode the limited sms. The boy, with his drooping socks, and his belly occasionally protruding from under his T-shirt, is realistically childlike and charming. A simple yet surprising friendshi