Panel: The Right to Read

The current fervor around book banning might feel like something that's happening elsewhere, but its stifling effects have hit writers right here at home. As part of Banned Books Week, a panel of children’s and YA authors discuss what it's like to write as a creator whose work has been banned or censored. Authors include MariNaomi, Sarah Hoffman, and Jasmine A. Stirling, in a discussion moderated by Ian Hoffman.

MariNaomi (they/them) is the award-winning author and illustrator of Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Resume, Ages 0 to 22 (Harper Perennial, 2011), Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories (2dcloud/Uncivilized Books, 2014), Turning Japanese (2dcloud, 2016; Extended edition Oni Press, 2023), I Thought YOU Hated ME (Retrofit Comics, 2016), the Life on Earth trilogy (Graphic Universe, 2018-2020), Dirty Produce (Workman Publishing, 2021), and I Thought You Loved Me (Fieldmouse Press, 2023). Their work has appeared in nearly 100 print publications and has been featured on websites such as the New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, the Washington Post, LA Times, The Rumpus, LA Review of Books, Midnight Breakfast, SF Examiner, and BuzzFeed. Their comics have been translated into French, German, and Russian. MariNaomi’s comics and paintings have been featured in the Smithsonian, the de Young Museum, the Cartoon Art Museum, the Asian Art Museum, and the Japanese American National Museum. MariNaomi is the founder and administrator of the Cartoonists of Color Database, the Queer Cartoonists Database, and the Disabled Cartoonists Database. MariNaomi lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with their partner and a menagerie of beloved rescue animals.

Sarah Hoffman (she/her) is the author, along with her spouse Ian, of Jacob’s New Dress, Jacob’s Room To Choose, and Jacob’s School Play: Starring He, She, and They! Their books have won awards from the American Library Association, Foreward Reviews, the Children’s Book Council, and Bank Street College of Education. Jacob’s New Dress currently holds the #72 spot on the ALA’s list of the Top 100 Most Banned Books of the Decade. As business partners and spouses, Sarah & Ian have been working together on building a better world for over 25 years.

Jasmine A. Stirling (she/her) is the award-winning author of A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice (Bloomsbury, 2021), winner of the IPNE Book Award, and a Book Riot and Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year. Her new book: Dare to Question: Carrie Chapman Catt’s Voice for the Vote (Union Square & Co, 2023, starred review, Booklist), tells the story of the queer power couple who ignited the suffrage movement and won the vote for women. Her third book, about a botanist who became the first woman to circumnavigate the world—while disguised as a man—comes out in 2025. Jasmine was formerly an education technology executive, and designed products to make learning engaging. She also served on boards for education nonprofits serving low-income students of color. Jasmine lives in an old house in San Francisco with her spouse, two daughters, and an absurdly adorable dog.

Ian Hoffman (he/him) is the author, along with his spouse Sarah, of Jacob’s New Dress, Jacob’s Room To Choose, and Jacob’s School Play: Starring He, She, and They! Their books have won awards from the American Library Association, Foreward Reviews, the Children’s Book Council, and Bank Street College of Education. Jacob’s New Dress currently holds the #72 spot on the ALA’s list of the Top 100 Most Banned Books of the Decade. As business partners and spouses, Sarah & Ian have been working together on building a better world for over 25 years.