It’s National Library Week, so I’ve been thinking a lot about knowledge and the idea that knowledge should be readily available – for all. An informed populace is crucial to the health of the nation and a bulwark of democracy. The ability to think, to reason, to avoid being fooled, all these notions are tied to reading and easy access to the wisdom of the ages.
And this is exactly why libraries – and their contents – are under siege these days.
HuffPost’s Jennifer Bendery recently told readers:
“Librarians are living in constant fear. They have become the targets
of Republican politicians and far-right groups like Moms for Liberty
Liberty that are hellbent on burning books about LGBTQ+ people,
people of color and racism. Some librarians are quitting their jobs
because of constant harassment; others are getting fired for
refusing to clear shelves of books that conservatives don’t like.”
If that’s not bad enough – and it is – Bendery informs us there’s another evil twist in the tale: “The GOP’s censorship campaign has shifted from book bans to legislation threatening librarians with jail time.” Idaho’s tried several times to enact such legislation; this February, West Virginia passed a bill “making librarians criminally liable if a minor comes across content that some might consider obscene.” Idaho, Iowa, Alabama, and Georgia are also considering various means of keeping books they don’t like off the shelves...and they’re not alone.
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom shared some frightening statistics: “The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year, accounting for about 46% of all book challenges in 2023; school libraries saw an 11% increase over 2022 numbers.”
Given these ever-more-frequent, ever-more-strident attacks, what can a concerned reader do to stem the tide of book-banning?
PEN America, an organization whose mission “is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible,” offers a number of ways to make one’s voice heard. Whether you’re a student, a parent, an author, or a librarian, PEN America provides advice, assistance, and resources to keep you informed and ready to push back.
The need to support the nation’s libraries is more urgent than ever. In Bendery’s HuffPost piece, American Library Association President Emily Drabinski draws a chilling conclusion: “What gets lost in conversations about book banning is that it’s really about eliminating the institution of the library, period. It’s not about the books. Well, it is about the books, but the books are the way in to gut one of the last public institutions that serves everyone.”
“You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture,” Ray Bradbury once said. “Just get people to stop reading them.”
Bradbury was one of the 20th century’s finest fabulists, the author of The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and the worldwide blockbuster Fahrenheit 451. Published in 1952, the novel Fahrenheit 451 is set in a future where books are illegal and firemen don’t put out fires – they start them. Printed matter is what they burn.
Bradbury was writing in the tense, paranoid early years of the McCarthy era. But he might as well have penned those words last Thursday.
Support your local library. Speak up for the voices the hate-mongers would shut down. Before – as history’s proven again and again – they try to shut down yours.
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Students fight a book ban by giving away free banned bookswww.youtube.com
The New York Public Library has also weighed in on the matter, you can find its suggestions here.
Welcome to Atelier Jolie
Opening in the former studio of Basquiat and Warhol, Angelina Jolie’s clothing brand is not another vanity project
Every day, it seems yet another big name launches a clothing brand. Kylie Jenner just announced her own fast fashion brand, Khy. Phoebe Philo just launched a high-ticket eponymous luxury brand with LVMH. But for Angelina Jolie, her foray into fashion isn’t about her.
Angelina Jolie launched Atelier Jolie with all the fanfare you could expect from an A-Lister and one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. She graced the cover of Vogue. She bought the iconic former home of Andy Warhol, 57 Great Jones Street in New York -which still bears graffiti from Basquiat- to give the brand a home. And she even posted to her Instagram account, which followers will know is a rare occurrence.
But all of this impressive marketing is not an attempt to build Jolie’s ego or even her own brand. It’s to support the careers of other artists. Atelier Jolie is a brand of collaborations:
“I’ve met a lot of artisans over the years—very capable, talented people—and I’d like to see them grow,” Jolie told Vogue. “It’s not really about fashion … I don’t want to be a big fashion designer. I want to build a house for other people to become that.”
The atelier itself promises to be a collaborative space — part store, part cafe, part creative community where patrons can stitch and mend and tailor their pieces. “I’ve always wanted to take my family to a place where I can say: Does your clothing really represent you?” she said in Vogue. “Absolutely you? And do you love it? I think the average person would not think it does. But I think tailoring does that for you.”
The brand is a community. The designers and collaborators are mostly “refugees and other talented, underappreciated groups.” Its global collaborators include the London-based milliner Justin Smith, the American artist Duke Riley, South African lacemaker Pierre Fouché, and more.
In the brand announcement, Jolie wrote:
“I am building a place for creative people to collaborate with a skilled and diverse family of expert tailors, pattern makers, and artisans from around the world. A place to have fun. To create your own designs with freedom. To discover yourself.
We will use only leftover, quality vintage material and deadstock. You will be able to repair or upcycle pieces from your closet you wish to revive, perfecting fit, breathing new life into what could have been thrown away, and creating quality heirloom garments with personal meaning.”
“We hope to create a community of creativity and inspiration, regardless of socio-economic background. We will spotlight the people who play a part in each creation. We will bring together a diverse team, including apprenticeships for refugees and other talented, underappreciated groups, with positions of dignity based on skill. And as we work with global artisans and creators, we hope to help share the richness of their cultural heritage and support the development of their own businesses.
But what about the clothes?
It should come as no surprise that the brand’s creative vision is full of timeless silhouettes inspired by Jolie’s simple approach to fashion. “Sometimes the way you dress says, ‘Don’t mess with me—I’ve got my armor on,’ ” Jolie told Vogue. “But I want a woman to feel safe enough that she can be soft.”
Their first collaborator is B Corp-accredited luxury Maison Chloé. Together with Creative Director Gabriela Hearst, Jolie designed this capsule full of eveningwear with an emphasis on fluid silhouettes. Lots of tailored pants and fluid gowns. Lovers of the Chloe, The Row, and Phoebe Philo should eagerly await this one.
This new venture aligns with Jolie’s personal commitment to service. A former UN Refugee Agency Goodwill Ambassador and Special Envoy, Atelier Jolie’s focus on uplifting and supporting creatives from marginalized communities is on brand for Angelina. When she’s not working on this new creative venture, she’s writing pieces for TIME magazine, doing philanthropic work, and using her platform to speak on global issues. Moved by her work with refugees, she has been one of the only major celebrities to use their massive platform to explicitly address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
As with everything she does, Jolie’s brand is a labor of love filled with passion and purpose. She has even gotten her kids involved to drive home the communal aspect of the brand. It’s for everyone and it’s about everyone — not just Jolie.
Atelier Jolie opens its doors later this year. I’ll see you all in line at 57 Great Jones St.
