Saturday marked the start of Banned Books Week (BBW) which is held during the last week of September each year. If you'd like to read more about this event, you can find details on the American Library Association website. In short, BBW is one in which we celebrate our freedom to read, access information, and express ideas. We also protest the censorship and banning of books as it is a direct attack on our First Amendment rights.This week at Write Chic we're celebrating BBW by bringing a few posts your way that put our own spin on the topic of censorship and how it relates to us as writers and readers. Mary will bring a fresh perspective on the topic as it relates to Young Adult books, Kelly has a discussion about romance in the works and I'll chime in as well.
I thought I'd start the week off with a link to this post by Jamie LaRue, librarian extraordinaire. I sincerely wish I possessed his eloquence on this topic. Beyond my support of the actual subject matter of the book, LaRue brought up a lot of thoughtful points about what is made available to library patrons and why. When he states, "...our whole system of government was based on the idea that the purpose of the state was to preserve individual liberties, not to dictate them..." I think he hits the Freedom of Speech nail on the head. My patriotic self may have teared up a bit...
I ask these questions of you:
1) What is your favorite banned book?
2) Have you actively participated in Banned Book Week before?
3) Are you posting about Banned Books Week? Send us an email/Twitter DM/comment and we'll post links to your blog this week!
8 comments:
Okay, have too many fave banned books to list! But I will say that the reasons given as to why many of these books are banned are typically laughable. It's as if the people banning the books haven't really read them but are acting out prejudicely based on someone else who's read its description, a bad review, and so on.
This will be my first week ever formally addressing this topic. Here's hoping I get it right!!*g*
Great blog, Steph!!:)
I don't pay much attention to this mostly because the subject of censorship totally pisses me off. Always had. Did a HS term paper on it, as a matter of fact.
I figure there's enough crap that ticks me off on a daily basis that I can't avoid, I should avoid what I can. As Kelly says, in the majority of cases, these things are banned solely out of ignorance. And as the old saying goes, "You can't fix stupid." Trying will only make you crazy.
I'm crazy enough.
I just read my comment back and realize it made it sound like the topic shouldn't be discussed. So not what I meant. I only meant *I* avoid it, for my own sanity. :)
But I'm certain you ladies will have highly enlightened and intelligent things to say on the matter.
Good post on BBW, Steph!
Does Lost Symbol count as a banned book? It should, for Abuse of Adjectives, Abuse of My Time & Money, Pain & Trauma. I read it last week.
I posted on it last week at: http://keirasoleore.blogspot.com/2009/09/celebrating-freedom-to-read.html.
I'm being honest when I say - I love most if not all the banned books.. Especially anything by Lauren Myracle. :)
Yes, I'm hoping to post a thank you letter to my mom on Wednesday. :)
1) Favorite? Oh...difficult... but at the moment I'm so happy we have Harry Potter. :)
2) This is my first BBW participation and I'm excited.
3) Well, clearly.
Ha!
Ter, I like your way of putting it. It totally pisses me off as well! But I've never put those thoughts in a public forum so I do so today. I did a paper on censorship as well! :)
Keira -- thanks for the link! Good to know about the DB book. I'm not jumping into it anytime soon but still good to hear thoughts.
My favorite banned book is the #1 banned book of all time, the Bible.
i forgot to add that the subject of my post at Just Janga this week is the banned books I've read.
http://justjanga.blogspot.com/
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