This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on September 20, 2022.

Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, Harriet Beecher Stowe; these authors share more than just a legacy of classic literature and a place in school curriculums. They’re authors whose works have been banned from classrooms over the years for content some deemed controversial or obscene.

Across the country, books are once again being challenged in schools and libraries, with librarians holding the line to make sure there’s access to materials some find inappropriate. Here in Idaho, the pressure to remove books from library shelves is coming from activist groups and the GOP party.

Dr. Jonathan Friedman, the director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about book banning.