Malinda Lo Speaks Out: Why Book Bans Miss The Point Of Ya Literature

Award-Winning Author Malinda Lo Stands Against Book Bans

In light of a dramatic rise in book bans sweeping across the U.S., acclaimed author Malinda Lo is making her voice heard. Known for her best-selling novels and a National Book Award, Lo has become a staunch advocate for the freedom to read. Just last month, she was honored with the 2025 Eleanor Roosevelt Center Bravery in Literature award, co-presented by PEN America. During her acceptance speech, Lo spoke passionately about free expression, a cause deeply personal to her since her family immigrated from China to escape censorship.

Lo’s work is frequently targeted by these bans. Her celebrated novel, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, which delves into a young girl’s exploration of her sexual identity in 1950s San Francisco, is fourth on PEN America's most banned books list for the 2024–2025 school year. Lo's other works, including A Scatter of Light, A Line in the Dark, and Ash, have faced similar scrutiny due to their portrayal of queer romances.

Lo on Sexuality in Young Adult Literature

In an insightful interview series exploring the role of sexuality in literature, Lo discussed her reasons for including sexual content in her novels. She criticized pro-censorship groups for taking scenes out of context, arguing that it distorts their intended meaning. Lo emphasized that her novels aren't written to push an agenda but rather to explore complex questions about identity, a theme prevalent throughout her seven novels.

“If sexuality is part of a character’s journey and part of the story, then of course I’m going to write about it,” Lo explained, underscoring that sexuality is simply a facet of life.

Lo's approach to writing about sexuality parallels her exploration of other themes like race and personal interests, as she seeks to understand what it means to be human. The inclusion of sexual content, she says, is no different from writing about everyday situations like grocery shopping; it all serves to deepen the narrative and character development.

Context Matters: Understanding Whole Narratives

Lo stressed that removing sexual content from its context fails both authors and readers. She recounted incidents where excerpts from her novels were used to spark controversy, particularly scenes from Last Night at the Telegraph Club where the protagonist encounters lesbian pulp fiction. Stripped of context, such scenes lose their significance and the opportunity for empathy they provide.

She recalled an English teacher’s query about countering these cherry-picked excerpts, to which Lo had a straightforward answer: “The whole book! You need to read the whole book!” This encapsulates her argument that only by seeing the full narrative can readers truly appreciate the intricacies of her stories.

Advocating for Free Expression

Lo noted that while book banners aren't shy about discussing sexual content, often in negative terms, those advocating against censorship must also learn to engage in these conversations with clarity and confidence. Having written for queer publications in San Francisco, where open discussions about sex are common, Lo finds the reticence in other regions, like New England, to be a barrier.

“People are afraid to talk about sex,” Lo observed, attributing this to fears of offending others or being misjudged. For Lo, overcoming these fears is crucial in supporting young adult literature and the diverse stories it seeks to tell.