Carmen Maria Machado reads excerpts from “In the Dream House”
(Anna Calvo | Student Life)

Acclaimed author Carmen Maria Machado arrived at WashU’s Holmes Lounge on Sept. 25 to read aloud from her memoir, detailing an abusive lesbian relationship. The reading and the Q&A session that followed were organized to commemorate nationwide Banned Books Week. Seats were filled within minutes, with only standing room available for latecomers.

Banned Books Week began in 1982 to highlight the importance of free access to information. The goal of this movement is to place a spotlight on writing from LGBTQ+ authors, authors of color, and women, which continue to be challenged in conservative areas. 

Machado’s memoir, “In the Dream House,” is one of her most challenged works. Critics have objected to her graphic descriptions of an abusive lesbian relationship and sexually explicit content. However, Machado and others at the talk pushed back against the idea that this content merits censorship.

“I think part of the power of literature is the fact that it has the power to portray things that are wrong with the world,” junior Sophie Lin said. “And if we start [to ban books], I think it’s a slippery slope, and there is no tool to create productive debate or learning.”

WashU students, postgrads, and individuals from the surrounding community, including many previously familiar with Machado’s work, gathered to hear her read excerpts from “In the Dream House” and participate in a Q&A with Associate Professor of English, Melanie Micir, and audience members. 

“I reread ‘In the Dream House’ last week in preparation for this event,” a student who requested to be anonymous for privacy and safety concerns said. “I really enjoy her work. It’s also very personal to me as a survivor of abuse. I’m very happy that she decided to [speak at] WashU.”

After a brief introduction from Professor of English, Danielle Dutton, Machado read aloud sections from “In the Dream House.” She then discussed with Micir how it felt to have her books challenged and even banned. 

Machado said she simultaneously felt proud of the fact that her work had joined the ranks of the banned books she had read voraciously as a child and disappointed that the queer and low-income students who may have benefited from her perspective would no longer have access to it.

“I think there is a flare of pride, of course, like my work has reached people, and somebody was like, ‘This has to be taken away,’” Machado said. “But this new flare of pride is sort of washed by this profound question about the state of the country and the state of everything.”

Audience members had the opportunity to ask Machado questions about her views on fairy tales, the narrative weight of endings, and her revision process, among other things. They had the opportunity to reflect on the deeper implications of banning a book centering voices from marginalized communities.

“One thing I really liked about what she said was linking the issue of the bans to a bigger political shift that is happening,” second-year Master of Fine Arts student, Laura Jimenez Morales, said. “It’s really not just about the books, but how that signals an entire movement to negatively impact communities of color, people that belong to the LGBTQ groups, and women.”