BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//The Purple Couch Bookshop - ECPv6.17.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://purplecouchbookshop.live
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Purple Couch Bookshop
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T200000
DTSTAMP:20260609T143910Z
CREATED:20260330T162952Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T143910Z
UID:7178-1783537200-1783540800@purplecouchbookshop.live
SUMMARY:Freedom of Speech Event featuring Christopher Finan
DESCRIPTION:How can we combat the hateful\, violent\, and anti-democratic path we are barreling down?  Christopher Finan will give us some guidance.  He’ll be interviewed by Author Dana Alison-Levy who co-leads the Massachusetts chapter of Authors Against Book Bans. \nCLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT \n\n\n\nAn essential look at how\, throughout American history\, the powerless have exercised their 1st Amendment right to free speech\, informing how we can defend democracy today. Join us as we welcome Author Christopher Finan of a conversation and signing. Your $19.07 ticket includes a copy of the book and tax. \nFrom the beginning of American history\, free speech has been crucial for the pursuit of justice and expansion of democracy. Yet today\, we are seeing growing attempts to roll back free speech protections in America: cultural warriors are banning books from library shelves at a level not seen in decades\, and elected officials are attacking free speech principles to undermine other rights and consolidate their own power. \nUncovering vivid and engaging stories about 1st Amendment pioneers throughout American history\, historian and leading censorship expert Christopher Finan highlights how free speech has been used to advocate for change. In the 19th century\, abolitionists\, advocates for women’s rights\, and leaders of the labor movement had to fight for free speech. In the 20th century\, the civil rights and anti-war movements expanded free speech\, creating a shield for every protest movement that we have seen since. \nWith sharp insight and page-turning storytelling\, Finan demonstrates that the most effective antidote for the growth of hate speech\, misinformation\, political violence\, and anti-democratic efforts by government officials is support for and cultivation of a free and robust marketplace of ideas. \nChristopher M. Finan has been involved in the fight against censorship for over 40 years. He is the former executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship and the former president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression. After working as a newspaper reporter\, he received his Ph.D. in American History from Columbia University. He is the author of Drunks: The Story of Alcoholism and the Birth of Recovery\, Alfred E. Smith: The Happy Warrior\, and From the Palmer Raids to the PATRIOT Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America\, which won the American Library Association’s Eli M. Oboler Award for the best work on intellectual freedom published in 2006 and 2007.
URL:https://purplecouchbookshop.live/event/save-the-date-freedom-of-speech-event-featuring-christopher-finan/
LOCATION:The Purple Couch Bookshop\, 350 Winthrop Ave unit 9b\, North Andover\, MA\, 01845\, United States
CATEGORIES:Special Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://purplecouchbookshop.live/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Finan-Post-Calendar-e1778174516448.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR