Bookmans promotes avant-garde expression all year around, but September holds a special place in the hearts of rebellious readers. In conjunction with Banned Books Week, we focus on the freedom to read, watch, play and listen to whatever media we want. This month, each Bookmans location hosts free events as homages to our favorite banned books, movies, music and video games. Stop by your fave store to snap a #BannedBookMugshot with your book of choice. Liberate literature from the #ArrestedReading displays at each of our locations. At Bookmans, we encourage the right to speak up and speak out. Discovery, knowledge and enlightenment are never crimes. We want you to help us keep it that way.

#arrestedreading

Banned Books Week occurs the last week of September and is an annual celebration of literary freedom on a national level. Libraries and bookstores around the country spread the word against censorship with creative campaigns, displays and events. Launched in 1982, Banned Books Week is a response to the rise in number of challenged books in schools, bookstores and libraries. The freedom to read is critical to building intelligent, free thinking (and rad) communities. Check out the videos we created in support of Banned Books Week Virtual Read Out:

* Bookmans Does Banned Books
During Bookmans’ 40-year fight against censorship, the shattered light bulb emerged as one of our more powerful symbols. In this video, combining passages from banned books read by customers and employees, we created a statement about how books inform, engage and inspire the light in each of us.

* Bookmans Does Banned Books 2013
Combining passages from challenged books read by customers and employees, this video expresses our concern about censorship. Not all inhibitors to free speech are as sensational as book banning. Censorship can be stealthy. It creeps into our lives without us recognizing what is free and what has been redacted.

Be sure to stop in at your favorite Bookmans location this September to celebrate free speech with free events!

• Bookmans Grant inspires expression with the Challenged Idea Pop-Up Gallery.

• Bookmans Mesa fights censorship and celebrates wizardry with a special engagement of Saturday Morning Storytime featuring the magic of Harry Potter.

• Bookmans Phoenix pays tribute to challenged literature at Rad Reads: Banned Book Bash. Also at Phoenix, experience the best and brightest spoken word poets at the Phonetic Spit Poetry Night.

• Bookmans Flagstaff promotes liberation of literacy at the Fall Local Author Fair.

• Bookmans Ina hosts a Local Author Fair to celebrate outspoken Arizona authors.

• Bookmans Speedway exercises their right to read with the Arrested Read-A-Thon.

In addition to these events, each store has interactive Banned Book Mugshot backdrops for your rebellious pleasure. Stop in any time to snap a photo with your favorite challenged media. We also want to see your banned book selfies taken at home, on the streetcar or anywhere. Use @Bookmans if you post on Twitter, @bookmansaz if you’re on Instagram or tag us on Facebook! Use the hashtags #ArrestedReading, #Bookmans and/or #BannedBookMugshot to spice up your post about your love of banned books.

Take a look at our Events Calendar for more information on these events and others. Here’s to keeping the freedom to write, publish and purchase. Long live good reads!