Author Leah Johnson is bringing banned books to her hometown, Publishers Weekly reports.
Johnson, whose books for young readers include You Should See Me in a Crown and Rise to the Sun, will open Loudmouth Books in Indianapolis, Indiana. The brick-and-mortar store will be an extension of her Bookshop.org online store with the same name.
The retailer will focus on both books for adults and young people, with an emphasis on titles that have been challenged or banned in schools and libraries. The 1,000-square-foot store was funded partially by a successful GoFundMe that raised more than $16,000.
“I was so pleasantly surprised to see how overwhelming the response was,” Johnson told Publishers Weekly. “The lease is signed, the building is secured, and we’ve already started work on the inside to get it ready.”
Johnson shared the news of the new store on Instagram, writing, “I cant even pretend to do an intro bc I’m too excited so here it is: OPENING A FREAKING BOOKSTORE!!!!… @loudmouthindy is here to loudly and proudly proclaim that you can’t ban queer joy, you can’t ban Black joy—and you can’t stop us from telling our stories. We will NEVER be silenced.”
Loudmouth Books will have a soft opening in late September before its official launch during Banned Books Week, Oct. 1-7.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
