WHAT: Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library (KVML) in Indianapolis is a national leader in anti-censorship activities. Each year the organization celebrates the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week through daily programming. This year, KVML welcomes school librarian and Indiana Library Federation advocate Chad Heck as activist in residence for the week as a protest against censorship. KVML’s programming will encompass censorship’s impact on topics including literacy rates, the writing community and book banning, the LGBTQ+ community, and more.
WHERE: Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, 543 Indiana Ave. ADMISSION INFORMATION: Admission to the museum will be “pay what you can” through KVML’s Kickstarter campaign in an effort to meet a goal of $20,000 through the crowdfunding source. PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE: Evening programs will highlight First Amendment rights and will kick off with a“pre-week” event, the KVML’s annual Night of Vonnegut gala on September 29, featuring celebrity defenders of free speech.
Friday, September 29 Night of Vonnegut Annual Gala, 7-10 p.m. Theme: Education Location: Madam Walker Theater Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/night-of-vonnegut-tickets-500934026157 - Features:
A silent and live auction
Brief keynote address by free speech activist Barry Lynn, whose background includes teaching sex education in a Catholic girls’ school, working for the ACLU at its national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and running Americans United For Separation of Church and State.
Comedy by Indiana’s own Dwight Simmons, named one of the 50 best undiscovered comedians in the United States
The presentation of the Kurt Vonnegut Humor Award to Mark Proksch, a comedian and actor who has been influenced by the work of Kurt Vonnegut and best known for acting in The Office, Better Call Saul, and What We Do in the Shadows.
Discussion with all three on the state of free speech in American entertainment moderated by KVML Founder and CEO Julia Whitehead
Sunday, October 1 Shadows on the Page: Understanding Censorship’s Threat to Literacy, 6-8 p.m.
Monday, October 2 Hoosier Ink: Indiana Authors On Censorship, 6-8 p.m.
Tuesday, October 3 Beyond Textbook: Students on Censorship in the Classroom, 6-8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 4 Sip n’ Screen: The Right to Read (we bring the popcorn, you bring a blanket), 6-8 p.m.
Thursday, October 5 Queer Resilience Open Mic: Defying LGBTQ+ Censorship Through Art, 12-2 p.m. Trisha van Cleef: A Captivating Live Painting Experience, 5-8 p.m.
Friday, October 6 German American Day Walk and Talk with Historian Sampson Levingston of Through2Eyes and Historian Bill Selm, 1-2:30 p.m. Gender Queer: Book Discussion on the Most Banned Book, 6-7 p.m.
Saturday, October 7 (VIRTUAL) So It Goes Literary Journal Release Party, 12-2 p.m.