Christopher Finan's guest appearances

Christopher Finan

Velocity of Content

The Seattle Public Library - Author Readings and Library Events

The Bookshop Podcast

Alain De Botton

Henry James

Jeannette Walls

Sarah McBride

Ijeoma Oluo

Colson Whitehead

Luvvie Ajayi

Emily Dickinson

David Shields

Michael Eric Dyson

Andrew Chapman

Ava Duvernay

Pete Buttigieg

Robert Thurman

Anthony Ray Hinton

OwlTail

Christopher Finan: 'From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act'

A legendary defender of free speech is retiring.

Free Expression Champion Christopher Finan To Retire

Christopher Finan is NCAC’s executive director. He previously served as president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFE), the bookseller’s voice in the fight against censorship. He has been an advocate for free expression since 1982. Prior to joining ABFE, he was executive director of Media Coalition, a trade association that defends the First Amendment rights of producers and distributors of media. He is a former chair of NCAC and Media Coalition. He was a trustee of the Freedom to Read Foundation and received its Roll of Honor Award in 2011.A native of Cleveland, Chris is a graduate of Antioch College. After working as a newspaper reporter, he studied American history at Columbia University where he received his Ph.D.He is the author of From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America (Beacon Press), which won the 2008 Eli Oboler Award of the American Library Association. He also wrote Alfred E. Smith: The Happy Warrior (Hill and Wang) and edited National Security and Free Speech: The Debate Since 9/11 (IDEBATE Press), a reader for high school students. The Hugh M. Hefner Foundation honored the latter with its First Amendment Award. His latest book is Drunks: The Story of Alcoholism and the Birth of Recovery (Beacon Press).Chris is married to Pat Willard, author of several food histories, including America Eats! On the Road with the W.P.A.–The First Fries, Box Supper Socials, and Chitlin’ Feasts that Define Real American Food (Bloomsbury).  They have two sons and live in Brooklyn.Christopher M. FinanNational Coalition Against CensorshipHow Free Speech Saved Democracy, Christopher M. FinanSupport the showThe Bookshop PodcastMandy Jackson-BeverlySocial Media Links

Christopher Finan is NCAC’s executive director. He previously served as president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFE), the bookseller’s voice in the fight against censorship. He has been an advocate for free expression since 1982. Prior to joining ABFE, he was executive director of Media Coalition, a trade association that defends the First Amendment rights of producers and distributors of media. He is a former chair of NCAC and Media Coalition. He was a trustee of the Freedom to Read Foundation and received its Roll of Honor Award in 2011.A native of Cleveland, Chris is a graduate of Antioch College. After working as a newspaper reporter, he studied American history at Columbia University where he received his Ph.D.He is the author of From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America (Beacon Press), which won the 2008 Eli Oboler Award of the American Library Association. He also wrote Alfred E. Smith: The Happy Warrior (Hill and Wang) and edited National Security and Free Speech: The Debate Since 9/11 (IDEBATE Press), a reader for high school students. The Hugh M. Hefner Foundation honored the latter with its First Amendment Award. His latest book is Drunks: The Story of Alcoholism and the Birth of Recovery (Beacon Press).Chris is married to Pat Willard, author of several food histories, including America Eats! On the Road with the W.P.A.–The First Fries, Box Supper Socials, and Chitlin’ Feasts that Define Real American Food (Bloomsbury).  They have two sons and live in Brooklyn. <a href="https://www.chrisfinan.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christopher M. Finan</a> <a href="https://ncac.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Coalition Against Censorship</a> <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6108/9781586422981" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How Free Speech Saved Democracy, Christopher M. Finan</a><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mandyjacks9 " rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">Support the show</a><a href="https://thebookshoppodcast.buzzsprout.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Bookshop Podcast</a> <a href="https://mandyjacksonbeverly.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mandy Jackson-Beverly</a> <a href="https://beacons.ai/thebookshoppodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Social Media Links</a>

Christopher Finan, Author, Executive Director National Coalition Against Censorship