NEWS UPDATE: FESTIVAL OFFICIALLY CANCELED. BUT HOPKINS SAYS SHE’D PAY HER OWN WAY AND APPEAR GRATIS IF THEY’D RE-INVITE HER!


Download this episode by clicking here.
Episode #6 – even though episode #5 hasn’t even posted yet, this is a special edition due to recent events.
In case you don’t know, Lee Wind is running a contest to win a code to get the app for this podcast! (It’s a paid app, though the episodes are free). It’ll be a random drawing from the suggestions I get for future episode subjects. Next week I promise to have a new Betsy Bird review, and more input from listeners.

If you’re into kidlit, you have heard of Ellen Hopkins…and if you’ve heard of Ellen, you’ve heard what’s going on with her these days. In this episode Ellen tells what really happened with the YA festival in Humble, Texas, and reveals about how she feels about the whole thing.


I also spoke to two other authors whose lives were effected by Ellen’s “uninvitation”, National Book Award winner, Pete Hautman, who decided to boycott the festival, and bestselling author Todd Strasser, who decided not to.
Listen and find out their reasons.
For more information on censorship, Judy Blume has a great list of resources here. She also has a page specifically for kids to know their rights here.
To see Ellen in my movie I shot at ALA, click here.