Liam Thomas McManaman | Staff Illustrator

It’s 6:05 p.m. My friend and I weave through tufted pillows and black folding chairs encircled within the children’s section of Left Bank Books. We’re a little late. A woman wearing a shirt that says “Literacy and Justice for All” reads the latest PEN America report to a dozen people. 

Last Monday, Oct. 5, Left Bank Books held a “Banned Books Read-In” to round off 2026’s Banned Books Week. As the oldest indie bookshop in the city, they have a serious reputation for selling controversial pieces that readers can’t find anywhere else. In fact, that’s the exact premise it was founded on in the “summer of love” (July 1969) by none other than a group of anti-war and civil rights activist WashU graduates.

For the event, Left Bank gave a free book to everyone who came. There were six books to pick from: “Maus” by Art Spiegelman, “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, “Heavy” by Kiese Laymon, “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson, “Dear Martin” by Nic Stone and its sequel, “Dear Justyce.” 

While WashU students’ minds were on fall break, the minds of many St. Louisans’ were on Banned Books Week. St. Louisan Abby Blaine attended this year’s banned book events because she wasn’t able to last year.

“Go to your indie bookstores. Even if you’re not a reader,” Blaine told me when I asked what she thought WashU students should be doing to connect with events like the read-in.  

Morgan Bringer grew up in St. Louis’ suburbs. She liked how vehemently a lot of the city’s indie bookstores supported diversity and community involvement. She described Left Bank’s approach as the store saying, “This is what we stand for. Here you go, take it or leave it.”

A man with perfect posture sat across from me wearing khakis, a green and blue plaid shirt, and Adidas Handball Spezials. He read 1984. A man in a red sweater with blonde hair and crossed legs read “Maus.” A woman on one of the folding chairs brought her own book — “Lord of the Flies.” 

Left Bank Books remains an advocacy powerhouse in St. Louis — so much so that they had to establish a nonprofit organization separate from the store to sustain their community engagement. There’s several branches of the nonprofit that grow into our St. Louis soil, but the Literacy & Justice Project, Left Bank owner Kris Kleindienst’s brainchild, focuses on combating the negative effects of book bans. One of the ways Left Bank does this is by giving free banned books to the community. And donuts.

As Left Bank Books prides itself on being community oriented, the read-in ended with a short discussion. Everyone spoke on little pieces from their books: “Lord of the Flies,” “Heavy,” “Beloved,” and more. Despite the different titles, everyone’s message pretty much came back to the importance of free access to literature.

It turns out the green-and-blue-plaid-clad man’s name is Vineet Chauhan. He tells me he studied English at University of Southern California; him and I subsequently talk literature for a good three minutes. Realizing how late it is, I ask him if there’s anything he’d like to say to WashU students.

“Keep fighting the good fight,” Chauhan says. “And informing yourselves to help make the world a better place.”

Left Bank Books’ Literacy & Justice Project will send anyone a free banned book. Seriously. There’s a link on their website — but better yet, go in person to Left Bank. Get off campus and grab yourself one. They have new events every week.