Syracuse University Celebrates 2025 Banned Books Week
Updated October 2, 2025
Syracuse University Libraries, in collaboration with Departments of English, Religion, Women’s and Gender Studies, Art and Music History, LGBT Studies, Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, African American Studies, Political Science, and Sociology from the College of Arts and Sciences, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the School of Education, and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, is hosting several Banned Books Week events the week of October 6 – 10, 2025. Events include:
- Author Fred M Fiske will present on his book “The Grocer Who Sold McCarthyism” on Tuesday, October 7 from 4 – 6 pm in Bird Library’s Peter Graham Scholarly Commons. Fiske's powerful biography explores Johnson's ascent from small-time grocery operator to kingmaker wielding Red Scare hysteria as a cudgel to shape the landscape of American entertainment and commerce. Through Johnson's journey, we gain insight into a pivotal moment in U.S. history when the nation grappled with fear, ideology and the delicate balance between security and freedom. This event is organized by Professor Roy Gutterman, Director of the Tully Center for Free Speech, at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
- Black and Banned SU Campus Read-Out of banned books by and about people of African descent on Tuesday, October 7 from 4:30 - 6 pm in the Martin Luther King Jr. Library in Sims Hall, Room 231. This event celebrates the right to read and is free and open to all.
- A Challenged Book Clinical Simulation, coordinated by Professor Benjamin Dotger, Director of the Center for Experiential Pedagogy and Practice in the School of Education on Wednesday, October 8 from 12 – 1 pm in the Simulation Laboratory on the 4th floor of Huntington Hall. Space is limited to 50 participants who can watch the live simulation and then interact with the participants in a debrief and Q&A. The simulation will focus on a parent/guardian challenge to a K-12 text, which has implications for the social and political sciences, history, journalism, humanities and social justice.
- A dynamic conversation on censorship, education and the right to read at the Banned Book Teach-In, led by Teukie Martin, Ph.D. Candidate in Inclusive Education, on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 from 2 – 3 pm in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons in Bird Library. Participants can explore the history and politics behind the current wave of book bans and challenges, the mechanisms through which censorship occurs, and how we can resist as scholars, educators and community members. This teach-in invites students, educators and readers of all backgrounds to engage in open dialogue and defend intellectual freedom.
- A Panel on Historical Perspectives on Book and Film Censorship on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 from 4 – 5 pm in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons in Bird Library. Each panelist will give a short presentation followed by a discussion and question and answer. Presenters include:
- Chris Forster, Emerson Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor, Department of English in the College of Arts & Sciences, who will present on “Book Banning as the Destruction of Public Space.”
- Eric J Grode, Associate Professor, Magazine, News and Digital Journalism, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, who will present on “I Am Curious (Impounded): The Lucrative Evolution of Grove Press From Book Defender to Film Defender."
- Darwin Tsen, Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics in the College of Arts & Sciences, who will present on "The Prison-House of Language: A Brief History of Book-banning in the Chinese-Speaking World."
- “Meet a Banned Book” on Thursday, October 9 from 1 – 3 pm in Bird Library’s Peter Graham Scholarly Commons (Room 114). In this interactive event, volunteers bring challenged and censored titles to life—embodying the voices behind the books. Patrons can “check out” these living books for one-on-one conversations about the stories, the bans and the battles fought to keep them on shelves. Come explore the power of literature, the impact of censorship and the enduring strength of ideas that defend intellectual and creative freedom. This event is being coordinated by the student group Beyond the Book.
- Banned Book Read-Out and Raffle prizes for participants on Thursday, October 9 from 3:30 to 5 pm in Bird Library’s Peter Graham Scholarly Commons (Room 114). Participants can select a passage from their favorite banned/challenged book and read it aloud. There will also be excerpts from selected banned and challenged books for participants to read from. Bring your own title, select from a curated compilation or choose from books we’ll have on hand. Every reader will be entered into a raffle for prizes and refreshments will be provided.
- The Libraries will also feature a banned book display and Banned Book Research Guide on the 1st floor of Bird Library from October 6 – 10.
All events are free and open to members of the Syracuse University community.