Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Banned Book Week

This week, the American Library Association is promoting the right to read anything we want.  No fan of censorship, I like the idea.  Various libraries have displays of banned or threatened books.  I imagine it's a big thing in some schools.

Have you heard of this peaceful protest?  I'd like to know what you think of the idea.  Any suggestions on such a book I should read?

4 comments:

  1. I, too, like this idea. I was given a copy of a French publication of "Tropic of Capricorn" purchased while it was banned in the US over 70 years ago. I haven't read it, but I like having it. I just took a look at the lists posted by the ALA. I had no idea there were so many banned recently.
    http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_downloads/index.cfm

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  2. Oops, had the dates wrong. Tropic of Capricorn was a few years later.

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  3. I really like this idea. So many books have been banned over the years for so many reasons (most of which I think are silly) that it makes me sad. I mean, why would anyone want to ban something like Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl? Seeing that one the list for this year was just depressing. I read that in middle school! If you want a recommendation, the short story that gives it's title to the Hemingway collection Hills Like White Elephants (which made the list in 2009 and probably before...) is an excellent short story. I've read it several times, twice as homework for a creative writing class. It really shows what you can say without having to say much at all.

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  4. Thanks, Reka. Hemingway is awesome!

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