[Apologies, the first email we sent omitted the quotations from our speakers. Here is the full email.]
Welcome to the newsletter for the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival! This month, we have a reminder about the Short Story Contests. Then, read on for a recap of our virtual event on book banning.
Short Story Submissions Due June 30, 2026
Our Short Story Contests will be closing for submissions on June 30, 2026. We have one contest for adults living in the DMV area. We have another contest for students attending high school in Montgomery County, Maryland. Click here to read the guidelines and submit your story.
Recap of the Virtual Event on Book Banning
Wow, what an event! We would like to extend a huge thank you to Ron Charles and Maureen Corrigan for putting on a wonderful and very informative show. In case you missed it, here is a recap of the event with some of the speakers’ most powerful words and takeaways.
As it happened, the event began with a technical glitch that left Charles and Corrigan to fend for themselves, without a formal introduction. Technology—what can you do? (We apologize for the glitch and lack of introduction.) Always ready to roll with any punches, the speakers started things going themselves and launched into an interesting discussion about book banning.
Maureen Corrigan spoke during the first part of the presentation about the fact that she, and others who are against book banning, do not believe books are without risk. However, she believes books are vitally important, in spite of this risk.
“All books are dangerous. . . . We think the risk is worth it. . . . That’s what makes them interesting; that’s what makes them art.”
—Maureen Corrigan
A total of 48 participants logged in to Zoom for this special presentation. Every year, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival hosts a special presentation, and this year we were honored to host this discussion between Charles and Corrigan. Apologies, but we did not make a recording. This recap contains some of the information from the event, in case you missed it.
In the latter part of the presentation, Ron Charles spoke about the sad truth that many people, especially young people, may not have access to the types of books they urgently need. He explained that the books being banned today most often center around topics like LGBTQ, race, and sex.
“It [access to a book] could save their lives. . . . These are really life and death issues . . . for some of these people.”
—Ron Charles
Corrigan spoke about books banned in the past. The 1928 classic literary novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover, by D. H. Lawrence, was debated in a court case, in which the full jury was asked to read the entire book. The 1634 book The New English Canaan of Thomas Morton, by Thomas Morton, was banned in Puritan times.
Corrigan has written a book titled Canon of the Banned that will be released soon by Knopf. According to Publisher’s Marketplace, it is “an examination of 10 frequently banned books that, taken together, trace the lineage of America’s cultural anxieties, explore the potency of good art, and show us what we lose when readers are deprived of access to books.”
Charles invited those who wish to fight against book banning to join the advocacy group EveryLibrary.
Learn more about Maureen Corrigan at her website and learn more about Ron Charles at his Substack newsletter page.
Thank you to all who attended this special presentation. We hope to see you all at some of our events planned for the fall!
