Capping off a day of energizing programs at Bank Street’s BookFest on November 1, Cynthia Weill, director of the Center for Children’s Literature at Bank Street College of Education, introduced the final speaker, Laurie Halse Anderson—who also delivered the keynote at the very first BookFest 15 years ago. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award laureate and anti-censorship activist began by thanking members of the community and her fellow authors for their “acts of grace” in harrowing times.
Anderson spoke of books as an extension of the grand human tradition of storytelling, allowing us to “strengthen our community and learn about the glories and dangers of living.” The source of the ongoing wave of book banning, she said, is twofold: shame and fear. “Books are not the problem. Book banners are the ones causing the harm. When they remove the books, they sow the seeds of ignorance in our kids. Those seeds are poisonous; they can be fatal. And people outside our bubble don’t realize it’s happening.” She urged the audience, “Every time we talk about a book that’s banned, let’s talk about the millions of children and families who are affected.”
The author explained how growing up in a conservative home, sex was not discussed. When she was raped at age 13 by a family friend, she didn’t tell anyone. “I suffered in shame for nearly 25 years,” she said. After embarking on the healing process through therapy, she was able to share her “emotional truth” in her 1999 novel Speak. “Thanks to brave educators,” she said, that book is one of many that has opened up conversations about sexual abuse. But the book has also been banned.
While researching and writing her latest book, Rebellion 1776, Anderson noted the many parallels between then and now, including the “profound political upheaval and violence in the streets.” It can be tempting to give in to fury, she acknowledged. “I have no more fucks to give. But rage burns out and it leaves you broken and exhausted—and that doesn’t help the kids.” Instead, she is choosing to remain “stubbornly optimistic.” Looking ahead to the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026, she said, “We have the chance to remake America to be what we promised it to be.”
Anderson issued a call to action to members of the children’s book community, saying, “Now is the time to plan.” If we want “to build a sustainable culture,” she continued, “let’s figure out what our common values are. I think they lie in our stories. If we keep sharing stories and books—and demanding that people have access to them—we will be okay.” The audience responded with a standing ovation.
