Highland Fashionista's Library of Florida Book Ban Literature

You may have noticed a lot of new little things popping up on the blog of late. I've been slowly sifting through a lot of old content, tossing some of it out and keeping and updating the good stuff (subjective, I know). If you've seen something you like suddenly disappear, have patience friend. It will reappear. But if it doesn't, drop me a line and tell me you want it back!

One of those new things that has popped-up is the newly-minted Highland Fashionista Library of Books Banned in Florida. Okay, it's not really a library, it's a collection of links and a brief description to each of the banned works, a lion's share of which have won literary accolades.

As most of you know, I am a part-time Floridian (sort of like a reverse snowbird), and the recent havoc being wreaked on the educators of our state is terrifyingly (but predictably) authoritarian in nature, and quite frankly, simply un-American. So I've decided to do whatever small part I can to try and help reverse the damage being done to the young minds of Florida, all in the name of protecting the children. From books. Protecting children from books. Not gun violence, mind you. Committing a violent act with a firearm is now easier to do than it ever has been in Florida, thanks to another round of incomprehensible legislation. No, we're protecting young minds from reading and books, and I can't even with this s**t.

So you'll find links on the website's menu and scattered throughout that will take you to the (ongoing and in progress, probably forever) collection of mostly young adult (but not exclusively) books that to date, have been pulled from the shelves.

Why Should I be Interested in Florida Book Ban Activity, It Doesn't Affect Me

Doesn't it? If I had a nickel for every time I heard that come out of the mouth of an acquintence or neighbor who may not agree with what's happening in Florida, but doesn't have the energy or foresight to realize that these kids are going to be our cardiologists some day, and will have far-reaching influence not limited to the state of Florida. However, I think the best way to sum it up is what I have written on the "library" page itself:

At Highland Fashionista, the freedom for anyone to tell his or her story is sacrosanct. Recent far-right legislation signed into law in the U.S. State of Florida has started a cascade of book removals from school libraries, leaving bookshelves barren and educators feeling like they have targets on their backs. Unsurprisingly, the materials being removed largely represent stories by and about the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color. ​These bans vary by county, and often are enacted after one (yes, just one) complaint.

They say knowledge is power (true), but knowledge is also compassion, joy, ecstasy, empathy, pain, fear, sorrow, anger, forgiveness, and love. Sometimes gaining new knowledge may push your buttons a bit. It's supposed to. That's how we grow.

Exposure to stories about people whose life experiences may differ vastly from those of our own enhances our innate human ability to connect and learn. To put it plainly, learning to hold space for other people is essential in cultivating a society not populated by idiots.

​If you'd like to do your part in helping the up and coming generations hear the diverse and amazing stories of the diverse and amazing humans of our planet, I'm happy to help. ​This list is based on an article from the Miami New Times, 25 April 2023, is a work in progress, and will be periodically updated.