Chris Barton
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thread 6 Threaded Spouts
If you don’t already know John Roy Lynch’s story, I think you’re in for both a treat and an education. In just ten years, he went from being an enslaved teenager to serving as a U.S. congressman.
11:42 AM - Feb 01, 2024
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Chris Barton
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A huge update: The Fifth Circuit court of appeals has upheld a big part of a U.S. district judge’s injunction against the Texas book ban! https://chrisbarton.info/t...
08:17 AM - Jan 18, 2024
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Chris Barton
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Welcome news: "[Co-director Laney] Hawes said the next step for Freedom to Read is to develop and train teams in every school district in the state." https://www.keranews.org/e...
01:27 PM - Jan 09, 2024
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Chris Barton
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While we wait for the Fifth Circuit to (hopefully) uphold the injunction against the Texas book ban, there's this good news: Plaintiffs and booksellers Valerie Koehler and Charley Rejsek have been named Publishers Weekly‘s 2023 People of the Year!
08:05 AM - Dec 18, 2023
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Chris Barton
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It's a good time to get to know the Texas Freedom to Read Project: "When hindsight allows us to look at the events of the 2020s censorship craze, it will be an unkind lens through which we view ourselves if we do not resist efforts to ban books." https://www.txftrp.org/cen...
10:01 AM - Dec 15, 2023
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Chris Barton
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If you're a Texan who's published fiction, NF, or poetry this year—print or online, for readers of any age—this would be a great week to submit your work for the TX Institute of Letters literary awards. (TX-related work is eligible, too.)

That Jan. 5 deadline WILL sneak up on you/your publisher…
11:52 AM - Dec 10, 2023
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Chris Barton
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I woke up this morning in the middle of a dream that the 5th Circuit court of appeals had upheld the injunction against the Texas Book ban. I was disappointed to check the news and see that that hasn't happened... yet. So, no new updates to my HB 900 roundup, but something soon, I hope!
07:50 AM - Dec 06, 2023
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Chris Barton
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Authors on posters may be smaller than they appear.
09:56 PM - Dec 04, 2023
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Chris Barton
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I had vague plans in early 2020 to find an in-person Spanish-language-immersion program to enroll in for that summer. That, uh, didn’t happen.

But maybe summer 2024 is my time? I’m looking for recommendations. Is there a Spanish-immersion program that you got a lot out of?
11:39 AM - Dec 04, 2023
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Chris Barton
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thread 2 Threaded Spouts
Federal Judge Alan Albright today issued a blistering written injunction halting the enforcement of the Texas book ban, a.k.a. House Bill 900, a.k.a. the READER Act.

Feels good to win one, doesn’t it?

Here — read it for yourself:
10:40 PM - Sep 18, 2023
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Chris Barton
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“I spent the pandemic shutdown writing a book with my friend about joy while she was dying. It’s an incredible blessing.”

In this episode of “This One’s Dedicated to…,” educator Donalyn Miller talks about both dedications in THE JOY OF READING—and what she really thinks about HATCHET dioramas.
Donalyn Miller - "This One's Dedicated to..." with Chris Barton and Jennifer Ziegler - YouTube

In this Very Special Episode of "This One's Dedicated to...," Jennifer Ziegler and I share our longer-than usual conversation with educator Donalyn Miller (T...

03:54 PM - Sep 14, 2023
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Chris Barton
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This month brings both Constitution Day AND the 5th anniversary of the publication of my picture book biography of Congresswoman (and teacher, and legend) Barbara Jordan, and those aren't even half the reasons I'm giving away 4 signed copies. To get in the running: https://chrisbarton.info/w...
07:56 AM - Sep 07, 2023
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Chris Barton
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Best Zoom meeting ever. https://www.publishersweek...
05:59 PM - Aug 31, 2023
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Chris Barton
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Great news for the freedom to read: In a very brief online conference, Judge Albright stated that he will be issuing an injunction preventing the state of Texas from enforcing House Bill 900! He expects to issue the written order within the next 1-2 weeks. https://chrisbarton.info/t...
12:59 PM - Aug 31, 2023
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Chris Barton
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For a project I’m working on, I’m looking for recent stories from librarians and educators about ways that authors have shown active, meaningful support for you and the work you do at a time when a noisy few in our states and communities and on social media loudly express the opposite. Whatcha got?
12:12 PM - Aug 29, 2023
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Chris Barton
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If you want to know more about Alton Yates, whose story was featured on tonight’s Rachel Maddow Show, here’s a book I wrote about him and what happened in Jacksonville on Ax Handle Saturday in August 1960. https://chrisbarton.info/b... @MaddowBlog
09:56 PM - Aug 28, 2023
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Chris Barton
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PW quoted me after I attended the 8/18 hearing on the TX book ban: "Both sides managed to make the law seem worse to me than it already did.'"

https://www.publishersweek...
11:00 AM - Aug 21, 2023
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Chris Barton
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Quick: What's a musical family act that recorded between 1945 and 1954? What's a record you owned on vinyl that was also (at least partially) in Spanish? How about an album that had at least one track shorter than two minutes AND came at least two albums before the artist became famous?
12:27 PM - Aug 19, 2023
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Chris Barton
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Many thanks to the Nonfiction Detectives for investigating GLITTER EVERYWHERE! and coming to the conclusion that it's "Highly recommended" http://www.nonfictiondetec...
06:37 AM - Aug 18, 2023
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Chris Barton
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Before this Friday's hearing on a preliminary injunction that would keep Texas' book-ban law from taking effect (please oh please oh please), read about the law's "overwhelming" and "incomprehensible" impact on the state's independent booksellers:
11:56 AM - Aug 14, 2023
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Chris Barton
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The latest update on the Texas book-ban law (while we await next Friday's hearing on a possible injunction): A major vendor of library books has asked publishers to help it rate books for potentially objectionable content. One publisher responded, "We strongly disagree..."
12:18 PM - Aug 10, 2023
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Chris Barton
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My favorite Beatles-related social activity (I assume everyone has several) is to ask fellow fans how they would edit the White Album down to a 14-song single LP. #Beatles #thebeatles

My wife and I and some friends once took a democratic approach and came up with these two sides:
11:19 PM - Aug 08, 2023
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Chris Barton
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What #music have I been listening to lately? Hear it for yourself:
07:34 PM - Aug 08, 2023
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Danyel Smith
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this took more out of me than anything i can recall. but i needed to count the cost. so (for #NewYorkTimes Magazine) i made a spreadsheet of people in #hiphop who died before their time—and wrote from that. it’s a brutal, emotional document. i had to stop at 63 #music #obituary #rapmusic
04:55 PM - Aug 08, 2023
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Chris Barton
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My friend Anne Wynter has been honored by the Texas Center for the Book by having her terrific picture book NELL PLANTS A TREE (wonderfully illustrated by Daniel Miyares) named the 2023 Great Texas Read Youth Selection. Watch Anne tell you a bit about the book, and then go find yourself a copy!
2023 Texas Great Read: "Nell Plants a Tree" by Anne Wynter, Illustrated by Daniel Miyares - YouTube

Based in Austin, TX, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission strives to preserve yesterday, inform today, and inspire tomorrow. Visit us online: http...

03:10 PM - Aug 07, 2023
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Chris Barton
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People who support librarians and teachers have to be willing to get out and citizen more.

"Fans of the right to read freely tend not to show up at school board meetings and statehouses the way the book banners do... But when readers do show up in force and resist, they can make a big difference."
06:51 AM - Aug 04, 2023
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Chris Barton
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Pretty neat seeing one of my books featured on Chicago Today — well, not *today*, but pretty recently! #kidlit https://www.nbcchicago.com...
06:34 PM - Aug 03, 2023
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Chris Barton
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Today marks the 10th anniversary of Ernie joining my family! He hopes to celebrate by getting up past his eyebrows in a container of yogurt, but I'll settle for giving away signed (and paw-printed 🐾) copies of the picture book he helped inspire: https://chrisbarton.info/a...
10:51 AM - Aug 03, 2023
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Chris Barton
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So, Teena Marie, Carolina Chocolate Drops, the Beatles, the Isley Brothers, Santigold, Guayacán Orquesta, Lucinda Williams, Latyrx, Sinéad O'Connor, and a compilation of “East African Hits On the Colombian Coast” walk onto a playlist…
11:17 PM - Aug 02, 2023
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Chris Barton
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"She had got booed off the stage, and Willie was like, 'Her. Get HER.'"
01:28 PM - Jul 31, 2023
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