436: What if We Talk More About the Books We're Trying to Ban?

Guest Katie DeBonville's first book, Grace Notes, a memoir of essays in which music is the throughline, was published in May 2026. A Massachusetts native who has enjoyed a career in fundraising for arts organizations, she holds degrees in music from Bucknell University and New England Conservatory and earned her MFA from Lesley University. When not writing, she enjoys attending concerts, browsing in independent bookstores, and a good glass of wine. Summary Katie discusses her Banned Book Week Substack series, which examines some of hr favorite books that have been banned or challenged, from Nancy Drew and Judy Blume to Amy Tan and Harry Potter. She finds that many of the reasons books were banned decades ago—discomfort with authority, sexuality, race, trauma, and marginalized identities—remain relevant today. Her essential point: rather than hiding difficult subjects, we should confront them through reading, conversation, and critical thinking. Social Media & Referenced Overview https://www.ala.org/bbooks/banned Books most often banned https://www.lib.umich.edu/about-us/news/banned-books-week-2026-october-4-10/ Top 10 Most Often Challenged 2026 https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10 Description of the 10 Most Often Banned Books https://bookresumes.uniteagainstbookbans.org/ The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman The Librarians film Trailer Podcast episode on the Nazi book burning on May 10, 1933, and the underground memorial Grace Notes: A Musical Memoir by Katie DeBonville