Beacon Press to Launch Series on Free Speech

By Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 4/25/2008 8:00:00 AM

Beacon Press is planning a new series of books focused on free speech. It is a natural progression for the independent Boston press, which has long been associated with First Amendment issues, having published the first full edition of the Pentagon Papers in 1971, as well as authors including Howard Zinn, James Baldwin, Ben Bagdikian, Cornell West and others. 

The series will explore free speech over the first 150 years of American history; the emergence of an organized fight for free speech in the post-WWI years, and battles that have been fought over free speech in recent years. “Beacon Press publishes books that try to change the way that people think about fundamental issues. We believe that exploring the history of free speech is essential to ensuring that our understanding and respect for the First Amendment continue to grow,” press director Helene Atwan said.

Each book in the series will be approximately 65,000 words and is intended mainly for a popular audience. Free speech activist and historian Christopher Finan, president of the American Booksellers Foundation of Free Expression, will be "the face of the series," said publicist Leah Riviere; he will edit books in the series, and solicit and review proposals. Brian Halley of Beacon Press will be the in-house editor. No books have been signed up yet.

Beacon has done themed series like this over the years; most recently is the Queer Action/Queer Ideas series, edited by Michael Bronski.

Authors interested in submitting proposals for the new free speech series should contact Finan at finan@mindspring.com.