Banned Books Week

So, we're smack in the middle of Banned Books week

I'm not going to write a 20 page diatribe or anything. But if you have some free time, follow my link, and get a banned book to read. Many of them are for kids, so you'll only need to devote and hour or two. I've read an awful lot of these books, Most in my childhood, some for school. I've read 8 of the top 10 most challenged books. And I turned out fine, In fact I barely remember why the caged bird sings, the chocolate war and bridge to teribithia, so they couldn't have been that shocking. Maybe, later today, when I get bored I'll count how many of the books I've read. I'm going to the library to get the other 2, and maybe re-read the chocolate war.

I would very much like to be on the challenged books list. But much like the way I will never be a hollywood star, because I have no desire to act, there is very little chance that I write a book in my lifetime, much less a "shocking" children's book. But maybe one day I'll get bored of my public library and develop some new discipline. Sex librarianship or something. Then I'll be an expert in my field, and have to write a book. and hopefully it will get challenged, giving me lots of free publicity. And one day, in my dreams, I will be on the challenged books list too.

Judy Blume very much kicks ass on this issue. One day when I'm at an ALA convention If i meet Ann M. Martin and Judy Blume in the same day, I think that will be just too much stimuli and i may just explode. Just because Judy's adult fiction, ummm, kinda sucks, is no reason to condemn her retroactively. I would like to read her book Places I Never Meant To Be: Original Stories By Censored Writers, but it's going to take a bit of interlibrary loaning before that happens, or i can just buy it used for $2 plus shipping on amazon

The whole reason I wrote this post was so I could quote this "Even pinup girls deserve a passionate defense." the article is fairly standard, but that line just struck my fancy.

It's just too bad no one protests Shakespeare anymore, because I could really do with less of that in my life. Although, as soon as someone starts protesting I'll have to defend it by saying, "Just because I think it's crap doesn't mean people don't have the right to find that out on their own. "

Happy reading!