The Thin Red Line

Today’s post was supposed to be a discussion of the reasons Why books are banned. Having written two days in a row about Banned Books Week and having enjoyed the most visitors, page views and comments I’ve yet had in this blog’s short history, I figured it would be a slam dunk to continue the Banned Books theme and keep reeling them in. Unspoken (or perhaps un-thought-of) in this plan was the assumption that censorship and book banning could neatly be blamed on the Religious Right and their attempts to make the United States over in accordance with their own not at all truly Christian agenda.

As is becoming my habit, I started a new discussion thread over at Blog Catalog asking my fellow bloggers for their input on the Whys of censorship, primarily thinking that I could harvest a few good comments to quote and spread some link love and with only three books to discuss, writing this entry would be an easy hour’s work and I could just move on to other things, like the Word Press lessons JD so kindly offered to give me or actually turning off the computer for awhile and reading an actual book as grist for future posts. Sometimes I am really smart and sometimes I am so naive and ignorant as to deserve to be called Stoopid. And after eight hours or so of thinking about this, of reading responses to my BC thread far more eloquent and informed than anything I’ve written, what I am left with are several draft posts I would be embarrassed to publish and a snippet of music from Spandau Ballet’s Journeys To Glory album that won’t budge from my head:

Questions, questions
Give me no answers
All they ever give me is
Questions, questions…

To cut a long story short I lost my mind

In a comment on the BC thread, which was of a depth and eloquence greater than 99% of blog posts out there, techfun pointed out that those who advocate for censorship of particular books most often do so out of sincere and well intentioned concerns and that approaching them stridently as ‘enemies of free speech’ is counter-productive, tending to make them more determined in their resolve and resulting in more rather than less censorship.

Then another reply, from scorpy01 pointed out that activists on the far left are no less likely to call for censorship than those on the far right. And as much as my prejudices wanted to scream out ‘oh pulleeze’, the quiet voice of my conscience says that she’s right. And then I read a reply from Dane Morgan who argues that the why of censorship can generally be reduced to fear and arrogance. Fear of the idea to be censored and arrogance in believing oneself qualified to make the judgment that the idea is too dangerous for others to see. This has a ring of truth in my opinion and yet leaves me feeling as though I understand the issue considerably less well than when I began.

To anyone who read my blog today expecting a detailed discussion of why the two Easy Readers about families with same gender parents are innocuous and belong in school libraries and a Christopher Hitchens style rant on why it’s all the Religious Right’s fault, I apologize. After thinking about and discussing the issue all day I found that I could not write that post.

I still believe that books should not be banned and I’m certain that I will observe and write about Banned Books Week again next year. But I will do so with a bit less arrogance, a bit less certainty and a bit more compassion in my heart for people I have seen only as enemies. And maybe by then I will be ready to write a post explaining the Why of censorship.

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A huge Thank You to everyone who offered a suggestion. I was very pleased with all the responses I received. Many people seemed shocked to learn that books they’ve read as school assignments have been the target of censorship campaigns. Others expressed incredulity upon learning that a particular book they’ve read and know to be inoffensive has been targeted. As techfun pointed out in a discussion at Blog Catalog, during the 1990’s many far right wing organizations worked to elect their members to school boards for the specific purpose of revising curricula to remove materials they find offensive. This is one of the main reasons for the censorship campaigns against these books. Without further ado, here are your favorite banned books:

Something Of Value is a 1954 novel by Robert Ruark about a Mau Mau uprising in Kenya in the early 1950’s. This title was suggested by my good friend Ron, who remembers defying the librum prohibitorum at his school to read it . He also says the book frightened him. I was unable to locate any specific information about censorship against this title but I did find it listed in Worldcat and available for sale from Powell’s so I decided to include it. (Note that this 75 cent cover priced paper back is now old and rare and rather pricey.)

Techfun, who has been an invaluable information resource on this topic recently blogged about the ten most frequently challenged books of the past year. Number one on that list is And Tango Makes Three. Based on a true story about two male penguins at New York’s Central Park Zoo who nurtured an egg laid by a female penguin and hatch and successfully raise a healthy new chick the zoo keepers named Tango. This beautifully illustrated children’s book teaches children that it’s okay to be in or know someone who has an alternative family.

Jungl from Norway who’s blog features incredible photographs of that country’s beauty suggested The Song of the Red Ruby (Worldcat) by Agnar Mykle. Unfortunately, I was not able to find a book cover for this title. Upon its publication in 1957 this book ignited one of Norway’s most famous court cases in history when the author and publisher were accused of disseminating obscene and immoral materials.

Bev suggested Judy Blume’s Blubber a novel about bullying among junior high school girls. rockstories recommended Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the infamous novel about book burning and perhaps the most appropriate choice possible for a discussion on censorship.

WHO ORDERED THE BROILED FACE?
Well here you are,
Just as you ordered,
Broiled face with butter sauce,
Mashed potatoes on the side.
What do you mean you wanted me fried?

Shel Silverstein was a gifted artist and poet who’s whimsical and fantastic poems and and simple but very clever line drawing illustrations have delighted generations of children and adults alike. A Light In The Attic has been banned from some libraries for its attitude towards child behavior (at times encouraging messiness and disobedience). People claim that it “encourages” children to break dishes in order to get out of having to dry them. One of the reasons this book was banned was its mention of pirates. Also, one of the verses describes the death of a girl after her parents refused to buy her a pony. She became so sad that she withered away and died, causing her parents to regret not buying her the pony—some people thought that it was considering or recommending children to commit suicide. Credit for recommending “Uncle Shelby” goes to golfwidow.

Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain was steamboat captain, humorist, essayist and novelist widely regarded as one of the greatest American authors in history. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the story of a young boy in antebellum Missouri who leaves home in the company of a runaway slave named Jim and sets off on a raft down the Mississippi River. While the novel has sparked controversy almost from the day of its first publication, it was especially targeted for censorship by critics who argued that the book’s frequent and historically accurate use of the word “nigger” made the entire novel racist. The irony being that the novel speaks out so clearly against racism and slavery in relating the tale of a boy who helps a slave escape. Thanks to firerobin for suggesting this one.

And finally, thanks once again to Bev for her suggestion of Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth. Follett, a well known author of thrillers surprised his readers in 1989 with this historical novel about in 12th century England. The book includes explicit sexuality and a rape scene and was banned by a Kansas library in 1994.

Have you read a banned book yet this week? Please comment and share what you have read or your favorite banned book. I have a few more titles that did not make it into toady’s post and will feature any other suggestions I receive later in the week. Thank you again for exercising your right to Read Freely.

Additional resources:

American Library Association’s Banned Books Page
History Survey: Banned Books Week
I Love Libraries Find a Banned Books Week Event
Wikiepedia’s List of Banned Books
Bev’s Blog Read a Banned Book

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In observance of the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, I am today featuring ten of my favorites from a list of the 100 most frequently challenged books in the decade 1990-2000. My selections are arbitrary and reflect only my own tastes.

Observed since 1982, this annual event serves to remind Americans not to take for granted their precious freedom to express one’s opinions, even or perhaps especially when those opinions are unorthodox or unpopular. Libraries are deeply committed to the concept of Intellectual Freedom which includes both the right to believe what you choose and to express those beliefs and to have unrestricted access to information and ideas, regardless of the viewpoints expressed or the medium through which they are communicated.

Censorship is as old as expression itself and continues to this day. Last year the ALA received 546 reports of attempts to "challenge" or demand the removal of books and other materials at libraries and schools. If none of my selections appeal to your tastes, please visit Wikipedia’s extensive, though by no means complete list of books that have been banned throughout history and read a banned book this week to show your support for your right to read freely.

Alan’s Top Ten Banned Books:

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou — the first volume of autobiography by the celebrated poet, dancer, and civil rights activist has often been targeted by censors due to its graphic depiction of a rape.

Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck– a 1937 novel depicting a tragic friendship between two men working as migrant laborers in California during the Great Depression and considered a classic of American literature, it has been targeted for censorship on the grounds that it promotes euthanasia and contains graphic language.

Final Exit by Derek Humphry is the highly controversial 1991 guide for terminally ill people who chose to commit suicide. Criticized for providing specific information on the best ways to end one’s life
which may be used by people who are not terminally ill, this book is banned by law in France.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian novel set in the Republic of Gillead, a theocratic totalitarian state which has replaced the former USA , where women are highly subjugated and sumptuary laws keep them in their place. This book has been frequently targeted for censorship on the basis of its anti-religious theme and sexual references.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee– a Southern Gothic novel in the bildungsroman genre. (Sorry, I came across that word in the newspaper yesterday and could not resist throwing it in.) A beautifully written story of growing up in
the rural South, this book has been targeted by censors for its frank treatment of race relations and rape.

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton– published in 1967, this Young Adult novel explores themes of brotherly love and class conflict. It has been targeted for censorship due to its portrayal of violence, explicit language and alcohol and drug use.


Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes is the story of a mentally retarded man who undergoes an operation that makes him into a genius. In his new life as a genius he studies the science behind the operation he’d undergone and recognizes a flaw in the theory that will cause him to lose his newfound intelligence as quickly as he had gained it. This book has been banned by two school systems in Canada after a parent called the book "filthy and immoral".

Ordinary People by Judith Guest is a psychological novel about a family struggling to come to terms with the death of its older son in a sailing accident and his brother’s subsequent suicide attempt. Banned in some school systems due to the subject matter and for sexual content.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume is a Young Adult novel dealing with a girl’s conflicted religious identity growing up with one Jewish and one Christian parent. It has been targeted for censorship due to its frank treatment of religion and sexuality.

The Dead Zone by Stephen King is the story of a man named John Smith who awakens from a coma after being unconscious for five years to find he now has psychic abilities. Made into a television series on the USA Network, the book appears on the list of those targeted for censorship, although I was unable to locate a specific citation.

And finally, all of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books have been targeted for censorship by critics who equate the magic depicted in these books with Satanism and the occult.

Much of the information contained in this piece was obtained from Wikipedia and from the American Library Association. Please leave a comment and let me know what your favorite banned books are and what you are reading to celebrate your right to Read Freely.

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