In response to a Tennessee ban on Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel “Maus,” professor of English and art + design Hillary Chute has authored a new article in The Atlantic, “Why Maus was banned: What makes the book controversial is exactly what makes it valuable.” The article (behind a paywall) goes into what makes the graphic novel, about Spiegelman’s father’s experience of the holocaust, both provocative and important.

Chute previously edited “Maus Now,” a collection of critical writings on the graphic novel.