It’s Banned Books Week!

This month’s poster is a little more lighthearted, featuring a quote from the always awesome Snuffleupagus of Sesame Street. I love this because the show continuously inspires a passion for letters, reading and sharing. And perhaps that’s an important point to remember as we head into Banned Books Week. Reading IS tremendous and books should not be banned. The poster’s tagline (Bans Beware! Better to Share!) was cleverly suggested by longtime Starshaped pal, Jessica Spring.

Here are some wonderful prints by Rosa Naday Garmendia, a multidisciplinary artist who has collaborated with Master printer Tom Virgin at ExtraVirgin Press for the past year and a half. From Rosa:

Starting in January, I've been dedicating my creative efforts to a project centered around banned children's books in Florida public schools.
This initiative, known as "Forbidden Pages," combines various art forms such as letterpress, linoleum prints, zines, and site-specific wallpaper mural installations. It all begins with letterpress prints, which serve as the foundation for this art and social engagement endeavor.
Drawing inspiration from a vast collection of more than 2500 banned or challenged children's books, including renowned titles like "The Bluest Eyes," "Before She Was Harriet," "Festival of Colors," and "Neither," my project aims to give voice to these silenced stories. The prints feature vibrant and colorful abstract designs that incorporate visual cues rooted in the International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN) and their corresponding barcodes.

Below is a fantastic print session shared by Christine Medley, involving learning how to print AND making great bookmarks in support of the cause:

Club members from the Northeastern Pennsylvania American Advertising Federation (NEPA AAF) attended a letterpress workshop at Crow Designs Studio, a community letterpress shop in Scranton...yep, just like The Office. Members, composed mainly of graphic designers, printed bookmarks to support the Free the Books campaign and Banned Books Week, October 1-7. They learned how to use a tabletop Kelsey press and a small sign press to print two different designs.
Find Christine at: crowdesigns.com

Find me (Jen) leading a Shop Talk session with PiP on October 7th. We’ll be rounding out Banned Books Week and sharing prints created by the community. It’s free and all are welcome to attend! If you’ve created something in response to bans and censorship or are a librarian with insight, please join us.
And speaking of Banned Books Week, check it out! There are so many resources to get you inspired to print and spread the (written) word. And don’t forget our handy guide to the issues and how you can use your press power for good!

Book bans are being instituted across the country at an alarming rate. As purveyors of print and avid supporters of both free speech and our public library system, this is an issue we take to heart and now, to the press!