September 27 marks the beginning of the 33rd annual Banned Books Week, which was begun to draw attention to the increasing number of books being challenged due to content deemed inappropriate for one reason or another. The Tattered Cover has published the American Library Association’s list of the ten most-challenged books of 2014, including the reasons for the challenge (they will also have some cool Banned Book displays and merchandise that week, so be sure to stop by everyone’s favorite independent bookseller!).

Now I have never been one to shy away from controversy, so I would be absolutely thrilled if my forthcoming book, Sweet Bye and Bye, showed up on this infamous list. After all, as artists, isn’t it our responsibility to challenge the status quo and start discussion about sometimes difficult subjects? Isn’t growth all about exposing ourselves to viewpoints different from our own and learning about situations different from ours? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!