Books by Wisconsin writer banned by same school which previously honored her. It didn't go without comment
Wisconsin Eagle/10305410

WAUKESHA, Wis. - WisconsinEagle -- When award-winning author Kathie Giorgio was honored by her former high school in Waukesha, Wisconsin she was thrilled. Then came the news that her books were removed from the school library--again.

Now Giorgio, whose story has been picked up by the local media in Milwaukee, has responded to her work being pulled from shelves by penning a response which appears today in the online publication People Magazine US.

In the essay, Kathie Giorgio shares how she arrived at Waukesha North High School in January 1977 at a troubled time in her life. Giorgio has been quite open with fans of her work about the difficulties and trauma she faced as a young teen. Experiences that left her angry and sad. The high school, she says, and the teachers and administrators she found there helped her find her voice.

Today, she is the author of 15 books, including multiple novels, several short story and poetry collections, and a memoir. She is a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and the founder of AllWriters' Workplace & Workshop, an international creative writing studio based in Waukesha. But none of the students now in attendance at the high school she credits with forming her as a writer will know that. Previously recognized by the school for her professional achievements and community involvement and formally installed on their "Wall of Stars" in 2020, every one of her books has been removed from the school's library.

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After attempts to reach an understanding with the school district administrators failed, Giorgio asked for her name to be removed from the wall of recognition in light of their decision to ban her books. Her alma mater obliged, returning her nameplate in an envelope with no accompanying note.

Kathie will be on the road this summer continuing to speak to book clubs and other groups about her work and teaching writing workshops as she prepares for the fall release of her sixteenth publication, a poetry collection titled Let Me Tell You; Let Me Sing.

For more about Kathie Giorgio visit https://www.kathiegiorgio.org/

Read the full text of her essay at https://peoplemagazineus.com/a-writer-responds-to-her-own-book-banning/