Visit Seattle - Seattle Bookmarked | Banned Edition | Lawn Boy

The American Library Association reported a record-breaking number of attempts to ban books in 2023, with most “written by or about members of the LGBTQ+ community and people of color.” As a UNESCO City of Literature, Seattle embraces intellectual freedom and celebrates—rather than censors—diverse voices.

In Seattle Bookmarked: Banned Edition, accomplished Seattleites read excerpts from books by Seattle authors that have been challenged, banned or censored somewhere in the United States.

In this episode, artist and activist Angelina Villalobos reads an excerpt from Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison.

Lawn Boy is a vibrant coming-of-age novel that tackles themes of race, class and sexuality with compassion and humor. To illustrate the zealous yearning of young adulthood, as it’s summarized in a toast by Andrew in our excerpt, we’ll follow a diverse group of young people over the course of a long summer day in Seattle.