I see my home state is at it again. Book banning at some schools in Grant's Pass, Oregon. his overprotective, curiosity killing sport lives on. Funny thing is, though, all that ever results from attempts to keep books from readers is that they find other ways to secure the forbidden material. Even funnier, however, is that some fairly well-known and award winning titles continue to make it onto the "Frequently Banned Books" list.
I'm rather proud that about 60% of the books I taught to high school Juniors and Seniors are on those lists. No, my classes did not contain books that were objectionable because of vivid sex scenes or radical political theories. Yes, there was some violence, some expressions of affection for self and others, and certainly political statements. There were also some Nobel Prized winners in the group as well.
Today the offended school boards and their supporters are complaining about books that deal with themes of gender identity. This is to be expected, given where we are with the emergence of young people declaring themselves non-binary. But it's only natural that people would write books helping young folks who struggle, mostly aline, with these issues. Lives are often in the balance so you'd think that even the squeamish would welcome some assistance in this department. But no. Onward they go banning left and right, often books they have not even read.
Of course the old standbys continue to be banned. Even titles like The Grapes of Wrath, The Color Purple, Beloved, and yes, The Catcher in the Rye are off limits for some high school students.
Also high on the list is Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. That is a book I taught for over 25 years with as much success as anything I ever did. The offending portions are some passages, quite lyrical I might add, where the young protagonist self pleasures in discovering her own body. Hard to see how this can offend people, but nevertheless they scream about it. No matter every person deals with these issues at some time in their life. The real treasures in the book are the discussion possibilities about standards of beauty, the power of self hatred, the power of media images, and the consequences of emotional and physical abuse.
I would have loved to have testified before a committee about how I taught The Bluest Eye. The emphasis would have been on how many important themes, topics, and issues would be lacerated from the curriculum if that book were unavailable. I recall one particular group presentation in one of my English classes where a small group of African American girls. They discussed and demonstrated the many hair straightening and skin lightening products available to Black women. Pecola Breedlove, the book's main character is bound up in thinking her worth is in her beauty and what is beautiful is white skin, straight hair, and blue eyes. Not only was this particular presentation eye-opening for my students, but even more so for one particular student who was challenged by this Honors class but after this experience felt much more comfortable with her peers.
I should mention too that the ethic make-up of a class goes a long way in determining the quality of discussion and the life experience that students bring to a work of literature. I'd be happy to elaborate on that, with illustrations, should anyone want to know more. Simply contact me through the information on my Blog profile.
So, what gives someone the authority and agency to suggest banning a book?
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