Jody Picoult Faces Censorship on Multiple Fronts
NEW YORK (AP) — Author Jody Picoult has experienced an unusual wave of censorship this fall; her novel and a musical adaptation, Between the Lines, have both been banned from certain venues. She reflects on this situation, stating, “I believe I am the first author to be censored in two different types of media.” Picoult adds, “Honestly, I’m not here to be mean. I write about the world as it is, and I’m just trying to tackle difficult issues that folks often find hard to discuss, because that’s the essence of fiction and art.”
The superintendent of Mississinewa High School in Gas City, Indiana, recently canceled the high school’s production of the musical. The reasoning provided revolved around “sexual innuendos” and mentions of alcohol. Efforts to reach Superintendent Jeremy Fewell for comments went unanswered.
Picoult expressed her disappointment, stating, “It’s devastating for us to know that children who have dedicated countless hours to this have seen their hard work dismantled due to one parent’s objections.” She elaborated, “As someone who has faced book bans, I know that significant issues arise when one parent begins dictating what is appropriate for others’ children.”
Interestingly, this same school had previously staged Grease, which features much more explicit themes, from sexual innuendos to a pregnancy scare, leading Picoult to question the consistency in decision-making.
The story of Between the Lines follows Delilah, an outsider navigating a new high school. She finds comfort in literature and learns she can dictate her own narrative. “This is a kind message and, I think, an important one for today’s youth,” Picoult remarked.
The original musical had already undergone edits, including the omission of references to non-binary characters, to cater to a more conservative audience. The show was supposed to debut during Halloween weekend at the Gas City Performing Arts Center. It features music and lyrics by Elissa Samsel and Kate Anderson along with a narrative by Timothy Allen McDonald. The musical, inspired by Picoult’s 2012 novel co-written with her daughter, opened off-Broadway in 2022.
Known for works like My Sister’s Keeper and Small Great Things, Picoult has also dealt with bans on her book, Nineteen Minutes, which was reported to have faced censorship 16 times in the 2024-2025 school year. According to PEN America, she ranks as the fourth most banned author in the U.S.
“One school district in Florida alone banned 20 books because of one parent’s complaints, who admitted to never having read any of them,” Picoult explained, as she highlighted that some of her works contain no explicit content whatsoever.
The movement to restrict access to books is growing. The Playwrights Legal Defense Fund is actively monitoring challenges faced by plays and musicals in various states, including Pennsylvania and Florida, where parents and educators are expressing concerns that the themes addressed may not be suitable for younger audiences.
Meanwhile, North Lebanon High School in Pennsylvania recently scrapped its planned production of The Addams Family for similar reasons, citing violence and subtle LGBTQ themes as red flags. Similarly, the play Indecent, which explores pivotal moments in Jewish and queer theater history, faced abrupt cancellation in Florida.
A survey from the Educational Theater Association indicated that over 75% of theater educators reported feeling pressure to rethink their play selections during the 2023-24 academic year.
As Picoult summarized, “We’re not really protecting our children; instead, we’re depriving them of the resources that could help them navigate an increasingly complex world.”
