I love stories where people successfully defend the freedom to read. Via Quillblog comes this amazing response to a patron’s request to remove a children’s picture book about a gay wedding, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen, from the Colorado library. Here’s an excerpt:

You feel that a book about gay marriage is inappropriate for young children. But another book in our collection, “Daddy’s Roommate,” was requested by a mother whose husband left her, and their young son, for another man. She was looking for a way to begin talking about this with son. Another book, “Alfie’s Home,” was purchased at the request of another mother looking for a way to talk about the suspected homosexuality of her young son from a Christian perspective. There are gay parents in Douglas County, right now, who also pay taxes, and also look for materials to support their views. We don’t have very many books on this topic, but we do have a handful.

…In short, most of the books we have are designed not to interfere with parents’ notions of how to raise their children, but to support them. But not every parent is looking for the same thing.

…What harm has this book done to anyone? Your seven year old told you, “Boys are not supposed to marry.” In other words, you have taught her your values, and those values have taken hold. That’s what parents are supposed to do, and clearly, exposure to this book, or several, doesn’t just overthrow that parental influence. It does, of course, provide evidence that not everybody agrees with each other; but that’s true, isn’t it?

…I fully appreciate that you, and some of your friends, strongly disagree with its viewpoint. But if the library is doing its job, there are lots of books in our collection that people won’t agree with; there are certainly many that I object to. Library collections don’t imply endorsement; they imply access to the many different ideas of our culture, which is precisely our purpose in public life.

I fully suggest you read the letter in its entirety.

For the past few weeks I’ve been working with Diaspora Dialogues and a group of great young creative writers over at the Malvern Public Library in Scarborough. These fantastic young people have been doing six weeks of graphic novel, fiction and poetry writing that will all come together in an open house at the library on Thursday, August 7 at 5:30 pm. Congratulations to these talented young writers! The press release is below.

Malvern’s Young Creatives
Young writing talent nurtured at Malvern Branch

In July, Diaspora Dialogues and Toronto Public Library – Malvern Branch partnered to present a free series of creative writing workshops for neighbourhood youth. Six weeks of amazing creative work will culminate in a celebratory “wrap” party and reading on August 7 at 5:30 pm!

(more inside…)

My pal (and Sumach Publicist) Dayle Furlong is launching her first collection of poetry, Open Slowly, in Toronto tonight at The Trane Studio. It’s part of the launch of Tightrope Books’ latest catalogue - doors at 6:30, readings at 7:00. Swing by and check it out!

Because she is apparently too modest to post about it herself, thought I should let you all know that Shameless blogger and publisher Stacey May Fowles has had her novel Be Good longlisted for a ReLit independent press literary award!

Way to go, Stacey May! You can’t see it, but I’m doing the Arsenio Hall arm-thing right now and going WHOO WHOO WHOO!

“All these gung-ho third-wave feminists gladden the heart of an old second-waver like moi. That’s because, rather than run from the f-word while benefiting from the hard-won battles for equal rights, these women embrace it.”

-Antonia Zerbisias on Jessica Valenti, The Miss G Project for Equity in Education, Shameless magazine, and, well, you, in today’s Toronto Star.

Don’t forget to check out Jessica Valenti and the rest of the F-word panel tonight at Camera Gallery at 7:00!

The Scream Literary Festival is coming up again, and there are a few events that we at Shameless are particularly excited about.

First of all, Julie Wilson, who runs the delightful Seen Reading blog is going to be running a writing workshop for teens called Seen Writing. The workshop, which is free, will be followed by readings by young poets Rupi Natt and Aaryn Zhou. Check out the event on Saturday, July 5th at 4:30 at the Tinto Cafe, 89 Roncesvalles Ave.

On July 11, the Toronto Women’s Bookstore is going to be hosting poets Camille Martin, Harmony Rice and Monica Rosas.

Camille Martin, a poet and collage artist, works with both found and original materials; Harmony Rice is a reporter for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, publisher of SPIRIT Magazine and a burlesque dancer; Monica Rosas is an educator/agitator/artist whose work aims to challenge and provoke discussion on gender, the environment and the visible minority experience. Readings will touch on issues of language, authorship and power, space and place, land and its ownership, the body, and belonging.

And last but not least, on July 14, the Scream in High Park mainstage event has a terrific lineup this year including Dani Couture, rap-storytelling-poet Motion and Skim author Mariko Tamaki. Sigh.

Find out more about the Scream Literary Festival on the website.

Hat tip to Quill & Quire for this one.

According to Glenn Beck, time travel, Nazis, and spies are everything a boy is supposed to like:

Glenn Beck, a conservative political commentator who appears regularly on CNN Headline News, recently welcomed U.S. children’s book author Ted Bell to his show, in order to sing the praises of Bell’s new adventure title, Nick of Time. However, it seems clear from the lack of interest Beck shows in Bell that the whole point of the interview is simply to expound on the need for more manly books for boys. (emphasis mine)

I was annoyed with this interview within the first thirty seconds. It’s really just a thinly veiled diatribe on how he believes books for boys are too femininized now, and that he’s sick of seeing the girls save the day. I spat up my drink when Glenn Beck said this:

When was the last time the heroine did not save the brother, but the brother stood up and saved the girl? It doesn’t happen anymore.

The whole thing reeks of a need to return to outdated stereotypes simply because of Beck’s discomfort with progressive values. He calls for a return to a time where “the boy is the boy.” Gag.

I’ve been remiss in not posting this sooner, but tomorrow night is the relaunch of Piece of my Heart: A Lesbian of Colour Anthology. Thanks to contributor Dianah Smith for the heads up on this great event!

This is an official Pride Toronto event.

Matters of the Heart: A celebration and relaunch of Piece of My Heart - A Lesbian of Colour Anthology

Thursday, 19 June 2008 (7 p.m.)
The Revival Bar
783 College Street West
Toronto ON

Piece of My Heart was edited by Makeda Silvera and published by Sister Vision Press in 1991. It was the first North American anthology of literature by lesbians of colour and was a finalist for the the American Library Association, Gay and Lesbian Book Award.(more inside…)

Shameless Magazine would like to congratulate contributor and awesome author Zoe Whittall on not only being longlisted for the ReLit award this week, but also being announced as the recipient of the second annual Dayne Ogilvie Grant! (The grant is given annually to an emerging gay writer from Canada.)

Whittall’s first novel, Bottle Rocket Hearts, was published to rave reviews. It was chosen as a Globe and Mail Notable Book of 2007 and Whittall was named NOW Magazine’s Emerging Author of 2007. In commenting on the book, one of the jurors stated, “Whittall’s writing is smart, edgy, and clear-eyed. She paints a scene beautifully, slows it down to its essence, and yet keeps the novel’s momentum moving forward. Definitely a writer to watch!”

You can catch Whittall at this year’s Proud Voices Reading Series on June 28.

Congratulations Zoe!