( ENSPIRE She Did That ) Malinda Lo Won’t be Silenced Even if Her Books Are
ENSPIRE Contributor: Seanna Nona
Who is Malinda Lo? She is a proud immigrant, Chinese woman, lesbian, and author. Highly educated, Lo graduated from Wellesley College and earned a master’s degree in Regional Studies from Harvard. Lo first got her start in writing working for AfterEllen in 2003, and at one point served as the managing editor. Six years later, Lo wrote her first novel, Ash, which was published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. In 2021, Lo released her most popular and banned novel, Last Night at the Telegraph Club. Due to the book being about a teenage American-born Chinese woman coming to terms with her homosexuality many right-wing book-banning activists have set their eyes on Malinda Lo and many of her works.
“[Last Night at the Telegraph Club] struck a very personal chord with me. It is a book full of hope and love and community and gay people, some of my favorite elements in storytelling. I am glad this book exists, and it made me glad that I exist.” – Joanne Zou
Despite those who seek to ban, restrict, and challenge many of Lo’s works, her novels and short stories filled with passion, creativity, and diversity, have been recognized and awarded. She is a New York Times bestselling author of seven novels. Her novel Last Night at the Telegraph Club won the National Book Award, Stonewall Book Award, Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and Michael L. Printz Honor.
To highlight how pervasive attempts to ban, challenge, and restrict her work Lo and her assistant have found 44 cases in which right-wing activists targeted her books. Five of her seven novels have been targeted, and one short story. Those targeted are Ash, Huntress, A Line in the Dark, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, A Scatter of Light, and her short story, New Year.
Malinda Lo has expressed on social media that many people have told her that her novels being banned is like a badge of honor. Although she understands where they are coming from she does not feel the same. Her books are being deemed as obscene when it’s about POC and queer folks. To her, it’s not a badge of honor it’s offensive, an insult, and a mischaracterization of her work. After hearing of the statewide attempt to ban her book, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by the South Carolina Board of Education, she shared her views through Instagram. She expressed that, being someone who immigrated from China to avoid the oppression and silencing of the Chinese Communist Party, it is very alarming for her to see that South Carolina is attempting to censor the ideals of the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and speech.
There will always be those who aim to silence diverse voices but many, like Malinda Lo, will not be silenced. Those who advocate for change and inclusivity will be loud, proud, and stand tall in the face of adversity.
For more information, you can find Malindo Lo on Instagram, Facebook, and the Website.
Related articles: Andrew Snorton Writes Books To Innovate And Empower Others, Mike Yam Addresses Lack of Asian Authors in the Children’s Books Industry
