Help Bring a Banned Bookstore to Indianapolis!

Friends,

This year, we've seen a record number of anti-LGBTQIA bills pass through state legislatures across the country, especially in red states like Indiana. One of the scariest for me as a writer, though, is HB 1447, a book banning bill , which makes it easier for books about queer and BIPOC folks to not only be challenged, but also makes it easier to criminalize teachers and librarians for keeping those books available to young people.

As a writer, I've been fortunate that I’ve gotten to do a lot of great work on one side of this issue, but now I'm ready to do some work on the other side. And that's why I'm excited to announce Loudmouth Books. Loudmouth Books is an independent bookstore in Indianapolis, IN dedicated to uplifting the work of marginalized authors and highlighting diverse stories.

In short: Banned books are our business.

Not only are we putting those books on our shelves, but at Loudmouth Books, we're also doing everything in our power to get them into the hands of young people who need them. Following in the tradition of our friends at Semicolon Chicago , every month we are going to have a Clear the Shelves initiative, which makes it possible for young people across the city to come in and grab a diverse title free of charge.

That's right. We’re not only selling books, we're giving books away. I want to keep these books in the hands of the people who need them the most, which is why we need your support. By donating what you can, not only are you assisting in getting Loudmouth off the ground by helping us get our beautiful space up and running, but it also pours into our take on the Clear the Shelves initiative.

Loudmouth isn't a children’s only bookstore, though. We cover books for readers of all ages. Loudmouth Books is general interest with a passion and a mission to center stories by and about marginalized people, because we're here and we're Hoosiers too—we always have been, and we always will be.

I know that having access to the stories that reflect our experiences can save lives because those stories saved my life, as both a reader and a writer. And making sure that the people who write those stories and the readers who need them always have a home will never stop being one of my life's greatest priorities. There are a lot of tools in our arsenal to fight the good fight against books that we love being removed from shelves, and Loudmouth Books is mine.

I hope you'll join me.

In community,

Leah J.