This week, the American Library Association celebrates the right to read books of our choosing. That’s right. It’s Banned Books Week in America, October 1-7, 2023. This is an annual event celebrated by libraries, schools, readers, and English teachers alike. The original event launched in the 1980s.
The Office of Intellectual Freedom, a wing of the American Library Association, keeps track of book challenges and bans. This year, from January 1 to August 31, there have been 695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles. This is up 20% from the same period last year. [Source: American Library Association]
Book-banning is personal to
me.
Twenty-eight years ago this
November, I had a set of parents challenge a book in my high school English classroom.
It was Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. One of my junior
students had chosen it from a list of suggested titles for college-bound
students. Her parents were unhappy with her choice, but instead of coming to me
for a substitute book, which I gladly would have approved, they went to the
principal, schoolboard, and the media. Their unhappiness over the book turned
to suggesting that they and a committee of parents go into the school libraries
and throw out books of which they didn’t approve.
For six weeks, there was a
flurry of media coverage and letters to the editor. I live in a small town, and
people were talking about “that teacher at the high school who teaches dirty
books.” What a positive outcome! People talked about literature and the freedom
to read! There were community meetings at the YMCA and at the public library. Eventually,
the school board voted to neither ban the book nor allow parents to go into the
libraries to take out materials.
I received a wonderful letter
from Mr. Vonnegut, thanking me for defending his book. To this day, it is
framed and hanging on my living room wall. It reminds me that there is a line
in the sand when it comes to what you’ll allow. Mr. Vonnegut’s letter said in
part, “You and your students are lucky to be in Norman Rockwell’s America,
where Jeffersonian debates are possible and usually entertaining. One community
banned Slaughterhouse-5, and a reporter called me to find out what I had
to say about it, and I said that the head of the School Committee was a
piss-ant, and he dropped dead the next day.” *
October 2-7, 2023. Banned Books Week in America. We have the freedom to read whatever books we want to read, and the freedom to close books that offend us.
*Quotation used with
permission of the author
This is an ongoing problem, with some people thinking they have the right to decide what other people (or other people's children) should be reading.
ReplyDeleteSometimes there are practical solutions. One library system for which I worked had an extremely conservative (if that's the right word) enclave who had lots of children. They were very concerned about what books their children had access to. That, of course, was their right. One of their major restrictions was avoiding anthropomorphism--attributing human traits to non-humans. Like talking animals. Try eliminating that in a large collection of books for children.
The solution, which satisficed everyone, was a separate selection in the library, and a few shelves on the bookmobile, where the only books were ones approved by the pastor of this church. Parents knew to take their children directly to this section. Of course, anyone could use these books. Everyone was reasonably happy.
This is rather an unusual solution I hadn’t heard of before, Kathleen. It is a complicated issue, and local decisions seem to work at times.
ReplyDeleteIt's an issue I can't quite wrap my mind around. Do books really make people stray from their values? Do movies? Do video games unleash violent tendencies in otherwise "good" people? There have been studies that indicate that might be the case, but there have been other studies that say no way. The key, in my opinion, is to make it clear to your children what your values are and be able to explain them in a clear and coherent way. And most of all, display them through your actions. Then we don't need to be scared of books or movies or games. Probably not a popular opinion these days, but there you have it.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine what it was like for you during that period -- and how seeing Mr. V's letter reinforces your writing career and belief in books to this day. Having always read above my age level and been encouraged to read and discuss books (the concepts of which might not always completely have been understood by me --), I adhere book banning and the narrow mindedness it often represents (ex. Cress Delahanty was once banned -- not because of what was in the book but the cover art).
ReplyDeleteOver the years the conclusion I have reached is those who most espose "freedom" for themselves are the ones most likely to impose restraints on others when they are in charge.
ReplyDeleteYou Thank you for being a wonderful teacher, Susan.
ReplyDeleteLori, that’s tough for me to get too. Books are meant to open minds. The world is a huge place with so many points of view. Learning about other viewpoints helps us decide our own thoughts. Like you, I think parents play a big role in teaching values to their children.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Debra. But I wasn’t afraid to work with parents. My world is a lot grayer than black and white.
ReplyDeleteSusan, thank you so much for sharing your experience. When I was in the 8th grade, a teacher sent home permission slips for a class to read To Kill a Mockingbird. It wasn’t my class, but it was the first time I had ever heard about restricting students’ reading. My parents always encouraged my reading anything I desired. When I heard about the permission slips, I decided there must be something “wrong” with the book and did not read it myself until I was in college. I remember loving the story so much and being sad over not feeling I could read it earlier.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I salute you! And I'm beyond jealous of your correspondence with Kurt Vonnegut (my hs teacher had our class read Slaughterhouse and we all went mad for his books. I think we all turned out okay.)
ReplyDeleteIn its infinite wisdom, the library system I worked for had a procedure for book challenges. Step one: talk to a librarian about one's concern. (this was usually enough for most people) Step Two: Talk to the library manager. If someone wanted to escalate to step three, they had to WRITE up their complaint and send it to the library board. In 15 years I never saw anyone go beyond step one.
Now, as you pointed out, it's too easy for people to go directly to the media.
It's funny to me that these "concerned citizens" pick on one or two very well known books, but are unaware of the thousands of other books that would also make their hair catch fire.
I love that Vonnegut responded. What a great man he was.
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly with Jim's comment. The banning of books makes my hair turn white. Same with the entire cancel culture. If you don't like a book, don't read it, but don't tell me I can't read it without consequence.
So true, Debra. I let my own kids read most books as long as they were age-appropriate. It doesn't seem to have hurt them.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Jim. How many times have we seen this happen?
ReplyDeleteI can understand your curiosity, Paula. Frankly, most of the books I taught at one time or another have been "banned." The list is filled with amazing books that make you wonder why people seem to think they are going to hurt readers. The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Huckleberry Finn, A Separate Peace...the list goes on and on. I'm glad you decided to read Harper Lee once you were able to make your own decisions.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Shari. We had a pretty clear policy for picking library books at our school district. And when this went to the school board, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Illinois Association of Teachers of English, and most of the local English professors at local colleges (as well as librarians) were at the school board meeting to ask that the board not ban this book or allow parents to throw out books. I was so grateful.
ReplyDeleteWhen two local newspaper writers became aware of the "tempest over a book," they actually called Vonnegut. They got his phone number through his agent who passed it on. Then they wrote a hysterical piece of satire in the local newspaper about book-banners. He sent me a letter because I clipped all the letters to the editor and the editorials in the local papers and sent them to Vonnegut through his book publisher. He was on a book tour, but finally caught up with the articles. I'm sure he laughed out loud before writing me his letter. He loved to stir up peoples' thoughts.
Thank you, Molly. I loved that job, just like I'm sure you loved to help kids with books in your library position.
ReplyDelete***What a positive outcome! People talked about literature and the freedom to read!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great attitude, Susan! I love how your story turned out. And with a letter from Vonnegut, too. Wow!
Thanks, Kaye. It was quite an experience.
ReplyDeleteSusan, thank you for sharing your story. What a sad state of affairs that attempts to ban books for everyone is even more of a threat.
ReplyDeleteI love that Kurt Vonnegut himself wrote to thank you! And that things turned out the right way in your town.
Thanks, Edith. I love a happy ending too!!
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