Stifled Laughter

“It is a very good thing for the Republic that Stifled Laughter has been republished by Fulcrum Publishing, since never in the history of that Republic have the values promoted by the book been under such critical assault. Stifled Laughter demonstrates that book-banning in a small, rural Florida community is but one manifestation of a toxic national mentality that threatens us all. More important, it demonstrates that one person’s courage and determination can make a difference in the face of what seem to be insurmountable odds. All of this could have made for a parched, didactic book, but Ms. Johnson has given us one that is as witty, funny, and light on its feet as it is important. Distinguish your day and buy this book.”

– Charles Gaines, finalist for National Book Award and New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 books

"As the battle over censorship and book banning rages on, Claudia Johnson helps us understand why it’s more important than ever to keep books on the shelves. Told with passion, humor, and an enduring love of literature, this is a must read for all book lovers.”

– Judy Blume

“The republication of Claudia Johnson's beautifully written memoir of her fight against book banning in two Florida towns in the 1980s and 1990s couldn't be more timely. It occurred during a period of intense censorship activity in schools and libraries across the country. There are differences between that struggle and the serious challenge to the freedom to read we face today. But one thing remains the same—the critical importance of the brave individuals like Johnson who stand up to the censors.”

– Chris Finan, Executive Director of National Coalition Against Censorship

“Painfully relevant in light of recent assaults on young people’s right to read, Stifled Laughter brings wisdom, intelligence, and humor to the fight against censorship in schools and beyond.”

– Ashley Hope Pérez, Author of the award-winning and widely banned novel Out of Darkness (#4 on ALA’s most challenged list for 2021, and #3 on the PEN America most-banned list)

National print and online publicity campaign

Pre-publication digital buzz campaign

Instagram/TikTok book influencer campaigns

Review copy distribution to trade publications, bookstores, and book reviewers

Pre-awareness campaign to booksellers

Goodreads giveaways and influencer giveaways

Outreach to bloggers, online publications, and magazines

Social media campaign across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok

ARC distribution at trade shows and various conferences

Marketing campaign around Banned Books Week in October

Advance Praise “All across the country, school boards and town councils are being hit by far right attacks on great books. When it happened in the town where Claudia Johnson was living, she stuck her neck out. A playwright, novelist, scriptwriter, and scholar steeped in literature’s classics and armed with a wicked sense of humor, Johnson couldn’t let the yahoos take Aristophanes and Chaucer away from teens who might learn as much from them as she had.

“Her memoir, Stifled Laughter, takes you with her, moment by tense moment, on a wild ride through contentious public meetings, nerve-wracking courtroom sessions, and seeing her house burned to the ground.

“If you don’t like the campaign to dumb down our public schools, Stifled Laughter shows you the way to defend the dedicated teachers and librarians who need you with them.”

– Ann Medlock, Founder of the Giraffe Heroes Project, Honoring people who stick their necks out for the common good