Category: Say What?

A few words on censorship

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“All of us can think of a book… that we hope none of our children or any other children have taken off the shelf. But if I have the right to remove that book from the shelf – that work I abhor – then you also have exactly the same right and so does everyone else. And then we have no books left on the shelf for any of us.”
— Katherine Paterson, American author of childrens books (1932-)

“Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.”
— Mark Twain

“The sooner we all learn to make a decision between disapproval and censorship, the better off society will be… Censorship cannot get at the real evil, and it is an evil in itself.”
— Granville Hicks (1901-1982)

 

 

 

Banning Books, day 2

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“Censorship, like charity, should begin at home: but unlike charity, it should end there.” — Claire Booth Luce

“Every burned book enlightens the world.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

 “Censorship of anything, at any time, in any place, on whatever pretense, has always been and always be the last resort of the boob and the bigot.”
— Eugene Gladstone O’Neill, American playwright (1888-1953)

Why do people attempt to ban books?  I think the biggest reason is fear.  Fear of the unknown, or in some cases the known but despised.  The problem with banning books is who decides what is offensive?  As I was looking around at the multitude of sites out there about challenging books I found more than one offensive, but that doesn’t mean I am going to try and deny access to these sites or flood their message boards with hateful email. 

Also, I do see the difference between finding a book that is required reading in high school offensive and trying to get offensive books removed from the public library.  I tend to think that they are both misguided, but the intent from the parent is from a different, more understandable place.  But, unless the parent plans on keeping the child at home or on a commune for the rest of his or her life I think it’s important for said parent to realize that there is a big world out there that kids need to be aware of.  Find a book distasteful or dangerous?  Why not use it for teaching a life lesson instead of trying to hide from them what is out in the big, bad world. 

Judy Blume has written some wonderful things about censorship and she should know since many of her books have been challenged.  http://judyblume.com/censorship.php

I was surprised that so many books are still being challenged and in some cases banned.  Too many to list today, but tomorrow I’ll have a quiz to see if you can guess why a book was banned.  Some of them are pretty funny.

Banned Books Week, Sept.27-Oct.4

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“Don’t join the book burners. Don’t think you are going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don’t be afraid to go into your library and read every book.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
 This week I’ll be focusing on banning books and censorship.  To get the week started I copied this from the American Library Association website.  www.ala.org 
Banned Books Week
Celebrating the Freedom to Read
Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2008, marks BBW’s 27th anniversary (September 27 through October 4).
BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.
BBW is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, National Association of College Stores, and is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

The most frequently challenged books of 2007

The following books were the most frequently challenged in 2007:
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received a total of 420 challenges last year. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.  According to Judith F. Krug, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom, the number of challenges reflects only incidents reported, and for each reported, four or five remain unreported.
The “10 Most Challenged Books of 2007” reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:
1) “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
2) The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence
3) “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes
Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language
4) “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman
Reasons:  Religious Viewpoint
5) “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain
Reasons:  Racism
6) “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language,
7) “TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
8) “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou
Reasons:  Sexually Explicit
9) “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris
Reasons:  Sex Education, Sexually Explicit
10) “The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons:  Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
Off the list this year, are two books by author Toni Morrison. “The Bluest Eye” and “Beloved,” both challenged for sexual content and offensive language.

The most frequently challenged authors of 2007

1) Robert Cormier
2) Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
3) Mark Twain
4) Toni Morrison
5) Philip Pullman
6) Kevin Henkes
7) Lois Lowry
8) Chris Crutcher
9) Lauren Myracle
10) Joann Sfar

A few words from Philip Roth

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“A Jewish man with parents alive is a fifteen-year-old boy, and will remain a fifteen-year-old boy till they die.”

“History… is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”

“I cannot and do not live in the world of discretion, not as a writer, anyway. I would prefer to, I assure you – it would make life easier. But discretion is, unfortunately, not for novelists.”

“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.”

“When you publish a book, it’s the world’s book. The world edits it.”

Rereading books

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“If you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads, but what he re-reads.” – Francois Mauriac

 

I used to reread books, but lately have way too many books on my shelves to take the time to read old favorites.  The problem is that if I don’t reread them then the effect of them is lost and that is sad.  Recently I came across some notes I’d made when I was reading Emerson years ago and was reminded of feelings long forgotten.  So, in the next few weeks I think I’ll take a look at a few Emerson essays. 

So, what about you?  Do you have favorites that you read over and over again or do you always find yourself rereading something new?

Reading

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Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. ~P.J. O’Rourke

It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it. ~Oscar Wilde

Libraries

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“Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library.  The only entrance required is interest.”                 -Lady Bird Johnson

Last week the Cleveland Plain Dealer did a story about the increased use of the local libraries.  Some already know everything that libraries have to offer, while some think there are just lots of books.  If you haven’t been to your local library lately I suggest that you visit soon and see what’s there.  There are books (surely), movies (of course), cds of music and books (without a doubt), but you will also find a multitude of other things.  There are programs for adults and kids, computers to use for free, paid subscriptions to online websites, old magazines (great to get ideas if you are renovating a room in your house like me), games…the list goes on and on.  And if you are having trouble finding what you’re looking for go to the reference desk and ask for help (maybe the person helping you will be me!).

Anyway, it is a great way for you and your family to spend an hour or two and it will also save you money.  And since your tax dollars are already funding the library, why not take advantage of everything it has to offer.  I saw a man come in today, sit down at a table, pull out his own book to read, and stay for a few hours enjoying the library without ever checking out a book.  That is a dedicated patron!

“I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.”     -Jorge Luis Borges

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

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“I lost in court, he thought, but that was only about stones.  What I gained was something infinitely more valuable.  Today I won a man’s soul.”      page 880

I just finished the mammoth that is Pillars of the Earth.  I started it on June 20 and 973 pages later I am done.  My goal was to get it back to Eric before he and Virginie moved back to France and I have done it 🙂

I’ll write a review tomorrow.

I’m back

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I just got back from a long weekend with the women of my family and am feeling refreshed and thankful for the wonderful family I am lucky enough to be a part of.  

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family; Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”           -Jane Howard

I posted the answers to last week’s quiz.  I’ll try and make the next one a little easier.  I see I’ve had a few comments left and I’ll get to those shortly.