I am writing today to ask for your support. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, in the 1980s and 1990s, before the internet, was difficult as an effeminate queer person. There was no representation to be found and the only thing I knew about queer people was they were dying of AIDS. My future felt bleak and lonely. I turned to books - though they were not easy to find. They were not available in my school library so I went to Brentano’s bookstore at the River Center Mall. Embarrassed, I waited until no other customers were around so I could peruse the small section of LGBTQ books without the judgment of onlookers. It was there that I discovered stories about queer BIPOC lives that were successful. Stories that said I could be happy and that my future was not defined by a disease that seemed to define a generation of queer men. It opened my eyes to possibilities. And that is the promise of books. They open up our eyes to worlds beyond.

A year ago, my sister-in-law was “let go” from her job as a school librarian (K-8). She worked at a school in Texas for over 25 years but the school decided that they no longer needed a library so her job was no longer relevant. At the same time, reports of book bans and challenges have filled the news in places like Florida and Louisiana. And as recently as this summer, books were being challenged in Tillamook and in 2023 book bans were taking place right here in our backyard in both the Canby and West Linn-Wilsonville school districts.

Because of this, we are exploring the banned book epidemic in the U.S. this season with a focus on the lives and stories of Oregonians. Activities include workshops, community events and investigation, and thematic inspiration for all our works, including 24H2M, our annual Youth Devising Residency production, and a new devised work premiering in Portland in Spring 2025 called BANNED, where we hope to share the aforementioned school districts’ stories. 

We cannot do it without your help.

When you donate, you directly support our diverse company, our programming, and the 80+ artists we hire yearly. Your contribution is vital to helping us meet our mission of creating new works. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us make our 2024/25 season a success.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Sincerely,
Michael Cavazos
Artistic Director
Hand2Mouth Theatre