INDIANAPOLIS— Inside Loudmouth Books there's a shelf dedicated to banned books.
"Loudmouth Books is all about uplifting the voices of marginalized authors and highlighting banned books," said Leah Johnson, the owner and an author.
Johnson opened the book store over the weekend. She says last year, close to 3,000 titles were challenged or banned in the United States.
"On the premises of having depictions of sexuality or queerness or gender or racism, you know discussions of racism," said Johnson.
The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library joined in on Banned Books Week in 2011.
"We pay special attention to it this year because it seems scarier that we are losing privileges," said Julia Whitehead, the founder.
Banned Books Week started more than 40 years ago as a time to celebrate the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.
"We're all working together to stop these fringe groups that are not the majority basically telling all the rest of us what we can read and what our children can read," said Whitehead.
Whitehead and Johnson have followed recent legislation passed by the state of Indiana and the controversy over Hamilton East Library's review policy.
"It’s about power. It’s about denying people access to life affirming stories," said Johnson.
Johnson says the goal of Loudmouth is to not only sell books but give everyone a safe place to go to.
"We don’t have a lot of third places in this country but especially in this city where you can exist and not be expected to do anything other than just be who you are," said Johnson.
The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is hosting a number of events for Banned Books Week:
- Monday, October 2
Hoosier Ink: Indiana Authors On Censorship, 6-8 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 3
Beyond Textbook: Students on Censorship in the Classroom, 6-8 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 4
Sip n’ Screen: The Right to Read (we bring the popcorn, you bring a blanket), 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, October 5
Queer Resilience Open Mic: Defying LGBTQ+ Censorship Through Art, 12-2 p.m.
Trisha van Cleef: A Captivating Live Painting Experience, 5-8 p.m.
- Friday, October 6
German American Day Walk and Talk with Historian Sampson Levingston of Through2Eyes and Historian Bill Selm, 1-2:30 p.m.
Gender Queer: Book Discussion on the Most Banned Book, 6-7 p.m.
- Saturday, October 7 (VIRTUAL)
So It Goes Literary Journal Release Party, 12-2 p.m.
