Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week starts tomorrow…SO, what are you going to do about it? Are you for or against books and the freedom to choose.
Good writers write because they have to, because they simply can’t be happy doing anything else. So, imagine what it is like, imagine how it feels, if your book is banned. If it is censored and edited because people just can’t comprehend where you’re coming from. All writers want readers to have the right to choose to read their books. No writer wants to hear that their book is not allowed to be read, that it is not appropriate to be read. And no one person, living in a country that is proud to call itself free, wants to hear that they are prohibited to read a book, solely because of someone else’s opinion of such book.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. – The 1st Amendment in the Bill of Rights.
Our country is proclaimed free, and yet countless people are being called upon to risk their careers in honor of keeping it free. The unsung heroes of literature who work, extremely hard, to keep the words of certain prose free to the public. Librarians, teachers, writers, booksellers, and so many more are being forced to petition for certain literatures to be rescued from censorship, and restrictions that prevent them from being accessed across the United States.
Booksellers have had to relocate because they have sold a restricted book. Children have been told they aren’t permitted to bring certain books to school, pages have been torn out of books, words and paragraphs blacked out.
It is apparent that the situation has worsened over the years due to classic books that have been acclaimed for centuries, and Nobel Prize winning books being banned and restricted. The unsung heroes of literary careers are being forced to risk their own livelihood to protect the freedom of literatures and the free right for sole individuals to read these selected literatures if they so choose.
Both the Merriam Webster and the American Heritage Dictionaries have been banned in various schools. The Merriam Webster was banned in a California elementary school in January 2010 for its definition of oral sex. “It’s just not age appropriate,” a district representative said.
Catcher in the Rye . . . Of Mice and Men . . . Harry Potter . . .
What’s your favorite book? Chances are good that someone has tried to ban it. Celebrate YOUR freedom to read during Banned Books Week, September 25 to October 2, 2010. For more information, visit this site.
ALA – http://ala.org/
Banned Books List for 2009-2010- http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_downloads/2010banned.pdf
How you can help – http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/index.cfm
Ten most farfetched (silliest, irrational, illogical) reasons to ban a book.
- “Encourages children to break dishes so they won’t have to dry them.” ( A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstien)
- “It caused a wave of rapes.” ( Arabian Nights, or Thousand and One Nights, anonymous)
- “If there is a possibility that something might be controversial, then why not eliminate it?” ( Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown)
- “Tarzan was ‘living in sin’ with Jane.” ( Tarzan, by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
- “It is a real ‘downer.’” ( Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank)
- “The basket carried by Little Red Riding Hood contained a bottle of wine, which condones the use of alcohol.” ( Little Red Riding Hood, by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm K. Grimm)
- “One bunny is white and the other is black and this ‘brainwashes’ readers into accepting miscegenation.” ( The Rabbit’s Wedding, by Garth Williams)
- “It is a religious book and public funds should not be used to purchase religious books.” ( Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, by Walter A. Elwell, ed.)
- “A female dog is called a bitch.” ( My Friend Flicka, by Mary O’Hara)
- “An unofficial version of the story of Noah’s Ark will confuse children.” ( Many Waters, by Madeleine C. L’Engle)
Pic by Ruby Washington/The New York Times
“Books won’t stay banned. They won’t burn. Ideas won’t go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.”
Alfred Whitney Griswold quotes
“God forbid that any book should be banned. The practice is as indefensible as infanticide.”
Rebecca West quotes
“Those who would challenge or ban a book have to find out about it first,”
Judy Blume quotes
“What parent has the right to select for anyone else’s child, … Teaching Banned Books.”
Pat Scales quotes
“People will always want to ban books. And we should always question that.”
Aaron Greenwald quotes
“If in other lands the press and books and literature of all kinds are censored, we must redouble our efforts here to keep them free”
Franklin D. Roosevelt quotes
“If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public libraries. These libraries should be open to all—except the censor. We must know all the facts and hear all the alternatives and listen to all the criticisms. Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors. For the Bill of Rights is the guardian of our security as well as our liberty.”
caballtaz John Fitzgerald Kennedy quotes
Writers Persecuted for their Literature
Amnesty International USA provides lists of indivisuals who are in danger, in prison or on the run because of the literature they have produced. Banned Books Week, is not confined to one week alone. This situation is an ongoing threat that is more dangerous than we realize. It begins with dislike and prejudice, turns to censorship and banning, on to burning – then before we know it, our writers will be running for their lives. This is not a world we want to live in.
AS franklin Roosevelt said:
“If in other lands the press and books and literature of all kinds are censored, we must redouble our efforts here to keep them free”
The Faces of the Persecuted
AZERBAIJAN
Eynulla Fatullayev
journalist harassed and imprisoned
After writing another series of articles critical of the government, including a discussion of possible consequences for Azerbaijan of a US-Iranian war, which the Azerbaijani authorities regarded as a threat of terrorism, Eynulla Fatullayev was sentenced (30 October 2007) to an additional eight and a half years’ imprisonment on various charges lacking plausible evidence and considered to be politically motivated. In April 2010 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Eynulla Fatullayev’s conviction violated his rights to free expression, that he had been unfairly tried, and that there was “no justification for the imposition of a prison sentence”.
CHINA
Nurmemet Yasin
writer in prison
Uighur poet & story writer Nurmemet Yasin is serving a 10-year prison sentence for writing an allegorical short story that the authorities consider to be a veiled indictment of their rule in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). He is a prisoner of conscience.
IRAN
Hengameh Shahidi
imprisoned journalist
Hengameh Shahidi, aged about 35, is a journalist and political activist who is currently serving a six-year sentence in Evin Prison, Tehran, while suffering from a heart condition that requires regular medication. She is a prisoner of conscience.
MOROCCO
Chekib El-Khiari
journalist jailed & fined
Journalist and human rights defender Chekib El-Khiari is serving a three-year sentence in Taza prison. Amnesty International considers him to be a prisoner of conscience imprisoned solely for his legitimate and peaceful human rights work.
RWANDA
Jean Leonard Rugambage
journalist killed
Rwandan journalist Jean Leonard Rugambage was killed on 24 June 2010. Authorities should establish an independent commission of inquiry into the killing and ensure that other journalists can work in safety. Over recent years, Rwandan journalists working for non-state media frequently have been threatened and physically assaulted.
SRI LANKA
Prageeth Eknaligoda
journalist & cartoonist disappeared
Journalist, cartoonist and political analyst Prageeth Eknaligoda disappeared from Homagama, near the capital, Colombo, shortly after leaving work at the Lanka-e-News office on 24 January 2010.
Banned and Challenged Classic Books
Celebrate your freedom to read on Banned Books Week 2010 – Sept 25-Oct 3 –
Info about these banned and challenged books was from ala.org:
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Challenged at the Baptist College in Charleston, SC (1987) because of “language and sexual references in the book.” Source: 2010 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.
The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
Since its publication, this title has been a favorite target of censors. In 1960, a teacher in Tulsa, OK was fired for assigning the book to an eleventh grade English class.The teacher appealed and was reinstated by the school board, but the book was removed from use in the school. In 1963, a delegation of parents of high school students in Columbus, OH, asked the school board to ban the novel for being “anti-white” and “obscene.” The school board refused the request. Removed from the Selinsgrove, PA suggested reading list (1975). Based on parents’ objections to the language and content of the book, the school board voted 5-4 to ban the book. The book was later reinstated in the curriculum when the board learned that the vote was illegal because they needed a two-thirds vote for removal of the text. Challenged as an assignment in an American literature class in Pittsgrove, NJ (1977). After months of controversy, the board ruled that the novel could be read in the Advanced Placement class, but they gave parents the right to decide whether or not their children would read it. Removed from the Issaquah, WA optional High School reading list (1978). Removed from the required reading list in Middleville, MI (1979). Removed from the Jackson Milton school libraries in North Jackson, OH (1980). Removed from two Anniston, AL High school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis. Removed from the school libraries in Morris, Manitoba (1982) along with two other books because they violate the committee’s guidelines covering “excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult.” Challenged at the Libby, MT High School (1983) due to the “book’s contents.” Banned from English classes at the Freeport High School in De Funiak Springs, FL (1985) because it is “unacceptable” and “obscene.” Removed from the required reading list of a Medicine Bow, WY Senior High School English class (1986) because of sexual references and profanity in the book. Banned from a required sophomore English reading list at the Napoleon, ND High School (1987) after parents and the local Knights of Columbus chapter complained about its profanity and sexual references. Challenged at the Linton-Stockton, IN High School (1988) because the book is “blasphemous and undermines morality.” Banned from the classrooms in Boron, CA High School (1989) because the book contains profanity. Challenged at the Grayslake, IL Community High School (1991). Challenged at the Jamaica High School in Sidell, IL (1992) because the book contained profanities and depicted premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution. Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) and Duval County, FL public school libraries (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled. Challenged at the Cumberland Valley Nigh School in Carlisle, PA (1992) because of a parent’s objections that it contains profanity and is immoral. Challenged, but retained, at the New Richmond, WI High School (1994) for use in some English classes. Challenged as required reading in the Corona Norco, CA Unified School District (1993) because it is “centered around negative activity.” The book was retained and teachers selected alternatives if students object to Salinger’s novel. Challenged as mandatory reading in the Goffstown, NH schools (1994) because of the vulgar words used and the sexual exploits experienced in the book. Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Challenged at the Oxford Hills High School in Paris, ME (1996). A parent objected to the use of the ‘F’ word. Challenged, but retained, at the Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, GA (1997). A student objected to the novel’s profanity and sexual references. Removed because of profanity and sexual situations from the required reading curriculum of the Marysville, CA Joint Unified School District (1997). The school superintendent removed it to get it “out of the way so that we didn’t have that polarization over a book.” Challenged, but retained on the shelves of Limestone County, AL school district (2000) despite objections about the book’s foul language. Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, GA (2000). The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complained about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was part of an Advanced Placement English class. Removed by a Dorchester District 2 school board member in Summerville, SC (2001) because it “is a filthy, filthy book.” Challenged by a Glynn County, GA (2001) school board member because of profanity. The novel was retained. Challenged in the Big Sky High School in Missoula, MT (2009).
The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
Burned by the East St. Louis, IL Public Library (1939) and barred from the Buffalo, NY Public Library (1939) on the grounds that “vulgar words” were used. Banned in Kansas City, MO (1939); Banned in Kern County CA the scene of Steinbeck’s novel, (1939); Banned in Ireland ( 1953); On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month’s and six months’ imprisonment “for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state” and the confiscation of their books. Eight booksellers were also on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving the Grapes of Wrath; Banned in Kanawha, IA High School classes (1980); Challenged in Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980); Challenged as required reading for Richford, VT (1981) High School English students due to the book’s language and portrayal of a former minister who recounts how he took advantage of a young woman. Banned in Morris, Manitoba, Canada (1982); Removed from two Anniston, Ala. high school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis. Challenged at the Cummings High School in Burlington, NC (1986) as an optional reading assignment because the “book is full of filth. My son is being raised in a Christian home and this book takes the Lord’s name in vain and has all kinds of profanity in it.” Although the parent spoke to the press, a formal complaint with the school demanding the book’s removal was not filed. Challenged at the Moore County school system in Carthage, NC (1986) because the book contains the phase “God damn:” Challenged in the Greenville, SC schools (1991) because the book uses the name of God and Jesus in a “vain and profane manner along with inappropriate sexual references.” Challenged in the Union City, TN High School classes(1993).
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Challenged in Eden Valley, MN (1977) and temporarily banned due to words “damn” and “whore lady” used in the novel. Challenged in the Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a “filthy, trashy novel.” Challenged at the Warren, IN Township schools (1981) because the book does “psychological damage to the positive integration process” and “represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature.” After unsuccessfully banning Lee’s novel, three black parents resigned from the township human relations advisory council. Challenged in the Waukegan, IL School District (1984) because the novel uses the word “nigger.” Challenged in the Kansas City, MO junior high schools (1985); Challenged at the Park Hill, MO Junior High School (1985) because the novel “contains profanity and racial slurs.”; Retained on a supplemental eighth grade reading list in the Casa Grande, AZ Elementary School District (1985), despite the protests by black parents and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who charged the book was unfit for junior high use. Challenged at the Santa Cruz, CA Schools (1995) because of its racial themes; Removed from the Southwood High School Library in Caddo Parish, LA (1995) because the book’s language and content were objectionable. Challenged at the Moss Point, MS School District (1996) because the novel contains a racial epithet; Banned from the Lindale, TX advanced placement English reading list (1996) because the book “conflicted with the values of the community.” Challenged by a Glynn County, GA (2001) School Board member because of profanity. The novel was retained; Returned to the freshman reading list at Muskogee, OK High School (2001) despite complaints over the years from black students and parents about racial slurs in the text. Challenged in the Normal, IL Community High School’s sophomore literature class (2003) as being degrading to African Americans. Challenged at the Stanford Middle School in Durham, NC (2004) because the 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel uses the word “nigger.” Challenged at the Brentwood, TN Middle School (2006) because the book contains “profanity” and “contains adult themes such as sexual intercourse, rape, and incest.” The complainants also contend that the book’s use of racial slurs promotes “racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy.” Retained in the English curriculum by the Cherry Hill, NJ Board of Education (2007). A resident had objected to the novel’s depiction of how blacks are treated by members of a racist white community in an Alabama town during the Depression. The resident feared the book would upset black children reading it. Removed (2009) from the St. Edmund Campion Secondary School classrooms in Brampton Ontario, Canada because a parent objected to language used in the novel, including the word “nigger.”
The Color Purple, Alice Walker
Challenged as appropriate reading for Oakland, CA High School honors class (1984) due to the work’s “sexual and social explicitness” and its “troubling ideas about race relations, man’s relationship to God, African history, and human sexuality.” After nine months of haggling and delays, a divided Oakland Board of Education gave formal approval for the book’s use. Rejected for purchase by the Hayward, CA school’s trustee (1985) because of “rough language” and “explicit sex scenes.” Removed from the open shelves of the Newport News, VA school library (1986) because of its “profanity and sexual references” and placed in a special section accessible only to students over the age of 18 or who have written permission from a parent. Challenged at the public libraries of Saginaw, MI (1989) because it was “too sexually graphic for a 12-year-old.” Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga, TN (1989) because of its language and “explicitness.” Challenged as an optional reading assigned in Ten Sleep, WY schools (1990). Challenged as a reading assignment at the New Burn, NC High School (1992) because the main character is raped by her stepfather. Banned in the Souderton, PA Area School District (1992) as appropriate reading for 10th graders because it is “smut.” Challenged on the curricular reading list at Pomperaug High School in Southbury, CT (1995) because sexually explicit passages aren’t appropriate high school reading. Retained as an English course reading assignment in the Junction City, OR high school (1995) after a challenge to Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel caused months of controversy. Although an alternative assignment was available, the book was challenged due to “inappropriate language, graphic sexual scenes, and book’s negative image of black men.” Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged, but retained, as part of the reading list for Advanced Placement English classes at Northwest High Schools in High Point, NC (1996). The book was challenged because it is “sexually graphic and violent.” Removed from the Jackson County, WV school libraries (1997) along with sixteen other titles. Challenged, but retained as part of a supplemental reading list at the Shawnee School in Lima, OH (1999). Several parents described its content as vulgar and “X-rated.” Removed from the Ferguson High School library in Newport News, VA (1999). Students may request and borrow the book with parental approval. Challenged, along with seventeen other titles in the Fairfax County, VA elementary and secondary libraries (2002), by a group called Parents Against Bad Books in Schools. The group contends the books “contain profanity and descriptions of drug abuse, sexually explicit conduct, and torture.” Challenged in Burke County (2008) schools in Morgantown, NC by parents concerned about the homosexuality, rape, and incest portrayed in the book.
Ulysses, James Joyce
Burned in the U.S. (1918), Ireland (1922), Canada (1922), England (1923) and banned in England (1929).
Beloved, Toni Morrison
Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged by a member of the Madawaska, ME School Committee (1997) because of the book’s language. The 1987 Pulitzer Prize winning novel has been required reading for the advanced placement English class for six years. Challenged in the Sarasota County, FL schools (1998) because of sexual material. Retained on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading listing in Arlington Heights, IL (2006), along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she’d found on the Internet. Challenged in the Coeur d’Alene School District, ID (2007). Some parents say the book, along with five others, should require parental permission for students to read them. Pulled from the senior Advanced Placement (AP) English class at Eastern High School in Louisville, KY (2007) because two parents complained that the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about antebellum slavery depicted the inappropriate topics of bestiality, racism, and sex. The principal ordered teachers to start over with The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in preparation for upcoming AP exams.
The Lord of the Flies, William Golding
Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974); Challenged at the Sully Buttes, SD High School (1981); Challenged at the Owen, NC High School (1981) because the book is “demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal”; Challenged at the Marana, AZ High School (1983) as an inappropriate reading assignment. Challenged at the Olney, TX Independent School District (1984) because of “excessive violence and bad language.” A committee of the Toronto, Canada Board of Education ruled on June 23, 1988, that the novel is “racist and recommended that it be removed from all schools.” Parents and members of the black community complained about a reference to “niggers” in the book and said it denigrates blacks. Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women and the disabled. Challenged, but retained on the ninth-grade accelerated English reading list in Bloomfield, NY (2000).
1984, George Orwell
Challenged in the Jackson County, FL (1981) because Orwell’s novel is “pro-communist and contained explicit sexual matter.”
Lolita, Vladmir Nabokov
Banned as obscene in France (1956-1959), in England (1955-59), in Argentina (1959), and in New Zealand (1960). The South African Directorate of Publications announced on November 27, 1982, that Lolita has been taken off the banned list, eight years after a request for permission to market the novel in paperback has been refused. Challenged at the Marion-Levy Public Library System in Ocala, FL (2006). The Marion County commissioners voted to have the county attorney review the novel that addresses the themes of pedophilia and incest, to determine if it meets the state law’s definition of “unsuitable for minors.”
Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
Banned in Ireland (1953); Syracuse, IN (1974); Oil City, PA (I977); Grand Blanc, MI (1979); Continental, OH (1980) and other communities. Challenged in Greenville, SC (1977) by the Fourth Province of the Knights of the Ku Klux KIan; Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980); St. David, AZ (1981) and Tell City, IN (1982) due to “profanity and using God’s name in vain.” Banned from classroom use at the Scottsboro, AL Skyline High School (1983) due to “profanity.” The Knoxville, TN School Board chairman vowed to have “filthy books” removed from Knoxville’s public schools (1984) and picked Steinbeck’s novel as the first target due to “its vulgar language.” Reinstated at the Christian County, KY school libraries and English classes (1987) after being challenged as vulgar and offensive. Challenged in the Marion County, WV schools (1988), at the Wheaton Warrenville, IL Middle School (1988), and at the Berrien Springs, MI High School (1988) because the book contains profanity. Removed from the Northside High School in Tuscaloosa, AL (1989) because the book “has profane use of God’s name.” Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga, TN (1989) because “Steinbeck is known to have had an anti business attitude:” In addition, “he was very questionable as to his patriotism:’ Removed from all reading lists and collected at the White Chapel High School in Pine Bluff, AR (1989) because of objections to language. Challenged as appropriate for high school reading lists in the Shelby County, TN school system (1989) because the novel contained “offensive language.” Challenged, but retained in a Salina, KS (1990) tenth grade English class despite concerns that it contained “profanity” and “takes the Lord’s name in vain.” Challenged by a Fresno, CA (1991) parent as a tenth grade English college preparatory curriculum assignment, citing “profanity” and “racial slurs.” The book was retained, and the child of the objecting parent was provided with an alternative reading assignment. Challenged in the Riveria, TX schools (1990) because it contains profanity. Challenged as curriculum material at the Ringgold High School in Carroll Township, PA (1991) because the novel contains terminology offensive to blacks. Removed and later returned to the Suwannee, FL High School library (1991) because the book is “indecent” Challenged at the Jacksboro, TN High School (1991) because the novel contains “blasphemous” language, excessive cursing, and sexual overtones. Challenged as required reading in the Buckingham County, VA schools (1991) because of profanity. In 1992 a coalition of community members and clergy in Mobile, AL requested that local school officials form a special textbook screening committee to “weed out objectionable things:” Steinbeck’s novel was the first target because it contained “profanity” and “morbid and depressing themes.’ Temporarily removed from the Hamilton, OH High School reading list (1992) after a parent complained about its vulgarity and racial slurs. Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) and the Duval County, FL public school libraries (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled. Challenged at the Modesto, CA High School as recommended reading (1992) because of “offensive and racist language.” The word “nigger” appears in the book. Challenged at the Oak Hill High School in Alexandria, LA (1992) because of profanity. Challenged as an appropriate English curriculum assignment at the Mingus, AZ Union High School (1993) because of “profane language, moral statement, treatment of the retarded, and the violent ending.” Pulled from a classroom by Putnam County, TN school superintendent (1994) “due to the language.’ Later, after discussions with the school district counsel, it was reinstated. The book was challenged in the Loganville, GA High School (1994) because of its “vulgar language throughout.” Challenged in the Galena, KS school library (1995) because of the book’s language and social implications. Retained in the Bemidji, MN schools (1995) after challenges to the book’s “objectionable” language. Challenged at the Stephens County High School library in Toccoa, Ga (I995) because of “curse words.’’ The book was retained. Challenged, but retained in a Warm Springs, VA High School (1995) English class. Banned from the Washington Junior High School curriculum in Peru, IL (1997) because it was deemed “age inappropriate:” Challenged, but retained, in the Louisville, OH high school English classes (1997) because of profanity. Removed, restored, restricted, and eventually retained at the Bay County schools in Panama City, FL (1997). A citizen group, the 100 Black United, Inc., requested the novel’s removal and “any other inadmissible literary books that have racial slurs in them, such as the using of the word ‘Nigger.” Challenged as a reading list assignment for a ninth grade literature class, but retained at the Sauk Rapids Rice High School in St. Cloud, MN (1997). A parent complained that the book’s use of racist language led to racist behavior and racial harassment. Challenged in O’Hara Park Middle School classrooms in Oakley, CA (1998) because it contains racial epithets. Challenged, but retained, in the Bryant, AR school library (1998) because of a parent’s complaint that the book “takes God’s name in vain 15 times and uses Jesus’s name lightly.” Challenged at the Barron, WI School District (1998). Challenged, but retained in the sophomore curriculum at West Middlesex, PA High School (1999) despite objections to the novel’s profanity. Challenged in the Tomah, WI School District (1999) because the novel is violent and contains obscenities. Challenged as required reading at the high school in Grandville, MI (2002) because the book “is full of racism, profanity, and foul language.” Banned from the George County, MS schools (2002) because of profanity. Challenged in the Normal, IL Community High Schools (2003) because the books contains “racial slurs, profanity, violence, and does not represent traditional values.” An alternative book, Steinbeck’s The Pearl, was offered but rejected by the family challenging the novel. The committee then recommended The House on Mango Street and The Way to Rainy Mountain as alternatives. Retained in the Greencastle-Antrim, PA (2006) tenth-grade English classes. A complaint was filed because of “racial slurs” and profanity used throughout the novel. The book has been used in the high school for more than thirty years, and those who object to its content have the option of reading an alternative reading. Cahllenged at the Newton, IA High School (2007) because of concerns about profanity and the portrayal of Jesus Christ. Newton High School has required students to read the book since at least the early 1980s. In neighboring Des Moines, it is on the recommended reading list for ninth-grade English, and it is used for some special education students in the eleventh and twelfth grades. Retained in the Olathe, KS Ninth grade curriculum (2007) despite a parent calling the novel a “worthless, profanity-riddled book” which is “derogatory towards African Americans, women, and the developmentally disabled.”
Catch-22, Joseph Heller
Banned in Strongsville, OH (1972), but the school board’s action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District. Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974); in Snoqualmie, WA (1979) because of its several references to women as “whores.”
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Banned in Ireland (1932). Removed from classroom in Miller, MO (1980), because it made promiscuous sex “look like fun” and challenged frequently throughout the U.S. Challenged as required reading. Challenged as required reading at the Yukon, OK High School (1988) because of “the book’s language and moral content.” Challenged as required reading in the Corona-Norco, CA Unified School District (1993) because it is “centered around negative activity.” Specifically, parents objected that the characters’ sexual behavior directly opposed the health curriculum, which taught sexual abstinence until marriage. The book was retained, and teachers selected alternatives if students object to Huxley’s novel. Removed from the Foley, AL High School Library (2000) pending review, because a parent complained that its characters showed contempt for religion, marriage, and family. The parent complained to the school and to Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Challenged, but retained in the South Texas Independent School District in Mercedes, TX (2003). Parents objected to the adult themes – sexuality, drugs, suicide – that appeared in the novel. Huxley’s book was part of the summer Science Academy curriculum. The board voted to give parents more control over their children’s choices by requiring principals to automatically offer an alternative to a challenged book. Retained in the Coeur D’Alene, ID School District (2008) despite objections that the book has to many references to sex and drug use.
Animal Farm, George Orwell
A Wisconsin survey revealed in 1963 that the John Birch Society had challenged the novel’s use; it objected tot he words “masses will revolt.” In 1968, the New York State English Council’s Committee on Defense Against Censorship conudcted a comparable study in New York State English classrooms. Its findings identified the novel on its list of “problem books”; the reason cited was that “Orwell was a communist.” Suppressed from being displayed at the 1977 Moscow, Russia International Book Fair. A survey of censorship challenges in the schools, conducted in DeKalb County for the period of 1979 to 1982, revealed that the novel had been objected to for its political theories. Banned from Bay County’s four middle schools and three high schools in Panama City, FL by the Bay County school superintendent in 1987. After 44 parents filed a suit against the district claiming that its instructional aids policy denies constitutional rights, the Bay County School Board reinstated the book, along with sixty-four others banned. Banned from schools in the United Arab Emirates, along with 125 others in 2002. The Ministry of Education banned it on the grounds that it contained written or illustrated material that contradicts Islamic and Arab values–in this text, pictures of alcoholic drinks, pigs, and other “indecent images.”
The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
Banned in Boston, MA (1930), Ireland (1953), Riverside, CA (1960), San Jose, CA (1960). Burned in Nazi bonfires (1933).
As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner
Banned in the Graves County School District in Mayfield, KY (1986) because it contained “offensive and obscene passages referring to abortion and used God’s name in vain.” The decision was reversed a week later after intense pressure from the ACLU and considerable negative publicity. Challenged as a required reading assignment in an advanced English class of Pulaski County High School in Somerset, KY (1987) because the book contains “profanity and a segment about masturbation.” Challenged, but retained, in the Carroll County, MD schools (1991). Two school board members were concerned about the book’s coarse language and dialect. Banned at Central High School in Louisville, KY (1994) temporarily because the book uses profanity and questions the existence of God.
A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
The June 1929 issue of Scribner’s Magazine, which ran Hemingway’s novel, was banned in Boston, MA (1929). Banned in Italy (1929) because of its painfully accurate account of the Italian retreat from Caporetto, Italy; banned in Ireland (1939); challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974); challenges at the Vernon-Verona-Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a “sex novel”; burned by the Nazis in Germany (1933).
Their Eyes were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
Challenged for sexual explicitness, but retained on the Stonewall Jackson High School’s academically advanced reading list in Brentsville, VA (1997). A parent objected to the novel’s language and sexual explicitness.
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
Excerpts banned in Butler, PA (1975); removed from the high school English reading list in St. Francis, WI (1975). Retained in the Yakima, WA schools (1994) after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list.
Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison
Challenged, but retained, in the Columbus, OH schools (1993). The complainant believed that the book contains language degrading to blacks, and is sexually explicit. Removed from required reading lists and library shelves in the Richmond County, GA. School District (1994) after a parent complained that passages from the book were “filthy and inappropriate.” Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Removed from the St. Mary’s County, MD schools’ approved text list (1998) by the superintendent overruling a faculty committee recommendation. Complainants referred to the novel as “filth,” “trash,” and “repulsive.” Reinstated in the Shelby, MI school Advanced Placement English curriculum (2009), but parents are to be informed in writing and at a meeting about the book’s content. Students not wanting to read the book can choose an alternative without academic penalty. The Superintendent had suspended the book from the curriculum.
Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
Banned from Anaheim, CA Union High School District English classrooms (1978) according to the Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association. Challenged in Waukegan, IL School District (1984) because the novel uses the word “nigger.”
Native Son, Richard Wright
Challenged in Goffstown, NH (1978); Elmwood Park, NJ (1978) due to “objectionable” language; and North Adams, MA (1981) due to the book’s “violence, sex, and profanity.” Challenged at the Berrian Springs, MI High School in classrooms and libraries (1988) because the novel is “vulgar, profane, and sexually explicit.” Retained in the Yakima, WA schools (1994) after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list. Challenged as part of the reading list for Advanced Placement English classes at Northwest High School in High Point, NC (1996). The book was challenged because it is “sexually graphic and violent.” Removed from Irvington High School in Fremont, CA (1998) after a few parents complained the book was unnecessarily violent and sexually explicit. Challenged in the Hamilton High School curriculum in Fort Wayne, IN (1998) because of the novel’s graphic language and sexual content.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey
Challenged in the Greeley, CO public school district (1971) as a non-required American Culture reading. In 1974, five residents of Strongsville, OH, sued the board of education to remove the novel. Labeling it “pornographic,” they charged the novel “glorifies criminal activity, has a tendency to corrupt juveniles and contains descriptions of bestiality, bizarre violence, and torture, dismemberment, death, and human elimination.” Removed from public school libraries in Randolph, NY, and Alton, OK (1975). Removed from the required reading list in Westport, MA (1977). Banned from the St. Anthony, ID Freemont High School classrooms (1978) and the instructor fired – Fogarty v. Atchley. Challenged at the Merrimack, NH High School (1982). Challenged as part of the curriculum in an Aberdeen, WA High School honors English class (1986) because the book promotes “secular humanism.” The school board voted to retain the title. Challenged at the Placentia-Yorba Linda, CA Unified School District (2000) after complaints by parents stated that teachers “can choose the best books, but they keep choosing this garbage over and over again.”
Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut
Challenged in many communities, but burned in Drake, ND (1973). Banned in Rochester, MI because the novel “contains and makes references to religious matters” and thus fell within the ban of the establishment clause. An appellate court upheld its usage in the school in Todd v Rochester Community Schools, 41 Mich. App. 320, 200 N. W 2d 90 (1972). Banned in Levittown, NY (1975), North Jackson, OH (1979), and Lakeland, FL (1982) because of the “book’s explicit sexual scenes, violence, and obscene language.” Barred from purchase at the Washington Park High School in Racine, WI (1984) by the district administrative assistant for instructional services. Challenged at the Owensboro, KY High School library (1985) because of “foul language, a section depicting a picture of an act of bestiality, a reference to ‘Magic Fingers’ attached to the protagonist’s bed to help him sleep, and the sentence: ‘The gun made a ripping sound like the opening of the fly of God Almighty.”‘ Restricted to students who have parental permission at the four Racine, WI Unified District high school libraries (1986) because of “language used in the book depictions of torture, ethnic slurs, and negative portrayals of women:’ Challenged at the LaRue County, KY High School library (1987) because “the book contains foul language and promotes deviant sexual behavior” Banned from the Fitzgerald, GA schools (1987) because it was filled with profanity and full of explicit sexual references:’ Challenged in the Baton Rouge, LA public high school libraries (1988) because the book is “vulgar and offensive:’ Challenged in the Monroe, MI public schools (1989) as required reading in a modem novel course for high school juniors and seniors because of the book’s language and the way women are portrayed. Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged as an eleventh grade summer reading option in Prince William County, VA (1998) because the book “was rife with profanity and explicit sex:” Removed as required reading for sophomores at the Coventry, RI High School (2000) after a parent complained that it contained vulgar language, violent imagery, and sexual content. Retained on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, IL (2006), along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she’d found on the internet. Challenged in the Howell, MI High School (2007) because of the book’s strong sexual content. In response to a request from the president of the Livingston Organization for Values in Education, or LOVE, the county’s top law enforcement official reviewed the books to see whether laws against distribution of sexually explicit materials to minors had been broken. “After reading the books in question, it is clear that the explicit passages illustrated a larger literary, artistic or political message and were not included solely to appeal to the prurient interests of minors,” the county prosecutor wrote. “Whether these materials are appropriate for minors is a decision to be made by the school board, but I find that they are not in violation of criminal laws.
For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway
Declared non-mailable by the U.S. Post Office (1940). On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing, and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month’s and six months’ imprisonment “for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state” and the confiscation of their books. Eight booksellers also were on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving For Whom the Bell Tolls.
The Call of the Wild, Jack London
Banned in Italy (1929), Yugoslavia (1929), and burned in Nazi bonfires (1933).
Go Tell it on the Mountain, James Baldwin
Challenged as required reading in the Hudson Falls, NY schools (1994) because the book has recurring themes of rape, masturbation, violence, and degrading treatment of women. Challenged as a ninth-grade summer reading option in Prince William County, VA (1988) because the book was “rife with profanity and explicit sex.”
All the King’s Men, Robert Penn Warren
Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974).
The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
Burned in Alamagordo, NM (2001) outside Christ Community Church along with other Tolkien novels as satanic.
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair
Banned from public libraries in Yugoslavia (1929). Burned in the Nazi bonfires because of Sinclair’s socialist views (1933). Banned in East Germany (1956) as inimical to communism. Banned in South Korea (1985).
Lady Chatterley’s Lover, DH Lawrence
Banned by U.S. Customs (1929); Banned in Ireland (1932), Poland (1932), Australia (1959), Japan (1959), India (1959); Banned in Canada (1960) until 1962. Dissemination of Lawrence’s novel has been stopped in China (1987) because the book “will corrupt the minds of young people and is also against the Chinese tradition.”
A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
In 1973 a book seller in Orem, UT was arrested to selling the novel. Charges were later dropped, but the book seller was forced to close the store and relocate to another city. Removed from Aurora, CO high school (1976) due to “objectionable” language and from high school classrooms in Westport, MA (1977) because of “objectionable” language. Removed from two Anniston, AL High school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restricted basis.
The Awakening, Kate Chopin
Retained on the Northwester Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, IL along with eight other challenged titles in 2006. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she’d found on the Internet. First published in 1899, this novel so distrubed critics and the public that it was banished for decades afterward.
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, GA (2000). The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complained about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was part of an Advanced Placement English Class.
Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie
Banned in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Quatar, Indonesia, South Africa, and India because of its criticism of Islam. Burned in West Yorkshire, England (1989) and temporarily withdrawn from two bookstores on the advice of police who took threats to staff and property seriously. In Pakistan five people died in riots against the book. Another man died a day later in Kashmir. Ayatollah Khomeni issued a fatwa or religious edict, stating, “I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses, which is against Islam, the prophet, and the Koran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, have been sentenced to death.” Challenged at the Wichita, KS Public Library (1989) because the book is “blasphemous to the prophet Mohammed.” In Venezuela, owning or reading it was declared a crime under penalty of 15 months’ imprisonment. In Japan, the sale of the English-language edition was banned under the threat of fines. The governments of Bulgaria and Poland also restricted its distribution. In 1991, in separate incidents, Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator, was stabbed to death and its Italian translator, Ettore Capriolo, was seriously wounded. In 1993 William Nygaard, its Norwegian publisher, was shot and seriously injured.
Sophie’s Choice, William Styron
Banned in South Africa in 1979. Returned to La Mirada High School library (CA) in 2002 after a complaint about its sexual content prompted the school to pull the award-winning novel about a tormented Holocaust survivor.
Sons and Lovers, DH Lawrence
In 1961 an Oklahoma City group called Mothers United for Decency hired a trailer, dubbed it “smutmobile,” and displayed books deemed objectionable, including Lawrence’s novel.
Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
The Strongsville, Ohio School Board (1972) voted to withdraw this title from the school library; this action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District, 541 F. 2d 577 (6th Cir. 1976). Challenged at Merrimack, NH High School (1982).
A Separate Peace, John Knowles
Challenged in Vernon-Verona-Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a “filthy, trashy sex novel.” Challenged at the Fannett-Metal High School in Shippensburg, PA (1985) because of its allegedly offensive language. Challenged as appropriate for high school reading lists in the Shelby County, TN school system (1989) because the novel contained “offensive language.” Challenged, but retained in the Champaign, IL high school English classes (1991) despite claims that “unsuitable language” made it inappropriate. Challenged by the parent of a high school student in Troy, IL (1991) citing profanity and negative attitudes. Students were offered alternative assignments while the school board took the matter under advisement, but no further action was taken on the complaint. Challenged at the McDowell County, NC schools (1996) because of “graphic language.”
Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs
Found obscene in Boston, MA Superior Court (1965). The finding was reversed by the State Supreme Court the following year.
Brideshead Revsisted, Evelyn Waugh
Alabama Representative Gerald Allen (R-Cottondale) proposed legislation that would prohibit the use of public funds for the “purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or promote homosexuality as an accetable lifestyle.” The bill also proposed that novels with gay protagonists and college textbooks that suggest homosexuality is natural would have to be removed from library shelves and destroyed. The bill would impact all Alabama school, public, and unviersity libraries. While it would ban books like Heather Has Two Mommies, it could also include classic and popular novels with gay characters such as Brideshead Revisited, The Color Purple or The Picture of Dorian Gray (2005).
Women in Love, DH Lawrence
Seized by John Summers of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice and declared obscene (1922).
The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer
Banned in Canada (1949) and Australia (1949).
Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller
Banned from U.S. Customs (1934). The U.S. Supreme Court found the novel not obscene (1964). Banned in Turkey (1986).
An American Tragedy, Theodore Dreiser
Banned in Boston, MA (1927) and burned by the Nazis in Germany (1933) because it “deals with low love affairs.”
Rabbit, Run, John Updike
Banned in Ireland in 1962 because the Irish Board of Censors found the work “obscene” and “indecent,” objecting particularly to the author’s handling of the characters’ sexuality, the “explicit sex acts” and “promiscuity.” The work was officially banned from sales in Ireland until the introduction of the revised Censorship Publications Bill in 1967. Restricted to high school students with parental permission in the six Aroostock County, ME community high school libraries (1976) because of passages in the book dealing with sex and an extramarital affair. Removed from the required reading list for English class at the Medicine Bow, WY Junior High School (1986) because of sexual references and profanity in the book.
Banned Books Week Proclomation
Banned Books Week starts tomorrow…SO, what are you going to do about it? Are you for or against books and the freedom to choose?
The ALA provided a proclomation suitable for libraries willing to take a stand against censorship:
Banned Books Week Proclamation
This proclamation lets you proclaim Banned Books Week at your local library. Feel free to use it as is, or modify it for your own celebration of the freedom to read.
WHEREAS, the freedom to read is essential to our democracy, and reading is among our greatest freedoms; and
WHEREAS, privacy is essential to the exercise of that freedom, and the right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one’s interest examined or scrutinized by others; and
WHEREAS, the freedom to read is protected by our Constitution; and
WHEREAS some individuals, groups, and public authorities work to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label “controversial” views, to distribute lists of “objectionable” books or authors, and to purge libraries of materials reflecting the diversity of society; and
WHEREAS, both governmental intimidation and the fear of censorship cause authors who seek to avoid controversy to practice self-censorship, thus limiting our access to new ideas; and
WHEREAS, every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of American society and leaves it less able to deal with controversy and difference; and
WHEREAS, Americans still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression, and can be trusted to exercise critical judgment, to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe, and to exercise the responsibilities that accompany this freedom; and
WHEREAS, intellectual freedom is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture; and
WHEREAS, conformity limits the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend; and
WHEREAS, the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year as a reminder to Americans not to take their precious freedom for granted; and
WHEREAS, Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the _______________________ Library celebrates the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, (Insert Dates Here), and be it further
RESOLVED, that the _______________________ Library encourages all libraries and bookstores to acquire and make available materials representative of all the people in our society; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the _______________________ Library encourages free people to read freely, now and forever.
——————————————————————————–
Adopted by the _______________________ Library
Date
City, State
Sourcebooks Virtual Book Tour for October
I am pleased to announce the calendar for October’s Virtual Book Tour of Sourcebooks Authors. Keep the dates and find out when your favorite author will be interviewed, or appearing as a guest on blogs around the world-wide-web. Every time you see Romance Fiction on Suite101…that would be me! On those days I will be interviewing the authors and getting up close and personal, so mark your calendars.
Olivia Cunning Virtual Tour Schedule
10/1 – Seductive Musings
– Book Hounds
10/4 – Babbling About Books and More
10/6 – Night Owl Romance Reviews
10/7 – Fiction Vixen
10/8 – Romance Reader at Heart’s Novel Thoughts Blog
10/12 – Romance Fiction on Suite 101
10/13 – Fresh Fiction
10/18 – Romance Junkies
10/20 – A Buckeye Girl Reads
10/24-10/30 Featured Author on Seriously Reviewed
Shana Galen Virtual Tour
10/4 – Debbie’s Book Blog
10/6 – My Book Addiction and More
10/7 – The Book Faery
10/12 – Seductive Musings
10/13 – Night Owl Romance Reviews
10/15 – Romance Fiction on Suite 101
10/18 – Romance Reader at Heart’s Novel Thoughts Blog
10/20 – Fresh Fiction
10/25 – Dear Author
10/26 – History Undressed
10/27 – Romance Junkies
Mary Wine Virtual Tour
10/1 – Romance Fiction on Suite 101
10/5 – Seductive Musings
10/6 – Debbie’s Book Blog
10/8 – Night Owl Romance Reviews
10/11 – The Book Faery
10/13 – Romance Reader at Heart’s Novel Thoughts Blog
10/15 – Fresh Fiction
10/18 – Thoughts in Progress
10/20 – History Undressed
10/21 – Romance Junkies
10/25 – Book Girl of Mur-Y-Castell
10/27 – Anna’s Book Blog
10/28 – My Book Addiction and More
Sharon Lathan Virtual Tour
10/1 – One Literature Nut
10/4 – Linda Banche Romance Author
10/6 – Seductive Musings
10/7 – Romance Fiction on Suite 101
– Micole Writes Romance
10/11 – My Book Addiction and More
10/13 – Historical Belles and Beau
10/15 – Psychotic State
10/20 – Romance Reader at Heart’s Novel Thoughts Blog
10/22 – Fresh Fiction
10/24 – Risky Regencies
10/27 – Historical Hussies
10/28 – Rundpinne
Abigail Reynolds Virtual Tour
10/1 – Historical Hussies
10/4 – Laura’s Reviews
10/7 – Historical Belles and Beau
10/11 – Psychotic State
10/12 – Rom Con Inc
10/13 – Book Girl of Mur-Y-Castell
10/14 – Rundpinne
10/17 – Risky Regencies
10/18 – Linda Banche
10/22 – Romance Reader at Heart’s Novel Thoughts Blog
10/25 – Romance Fiction on Suite 101
10/27 – Fresh Fiction
Dalton Ghetti Pencil Sculptures
Being a writer, pen/pencil kleptomaniac and an appreciator of fine art, I simply have to share the contents of an email I received. I am copying the email verbatim in a way to not change any copyrights from the original sender (I like to give credit where it is due and I think this might have been in the New York Times). SO take a minute to appreciate the sheer talent of this extraordinary, patient man.
Pencil sculptures: miniature masterpieces carved into graphite by Dalton Ghetti
Dalton Ghetti makes sculptures out of pencils, including a tiny saw and a pencil whose center has been carved into a chain, which is framed.
Many artists have used pencils to create works of art – but Dalton Ghetti creates miniature masterpieces on the tips of pencils
The alphabet, all carved from 26 pencil tips
Dalton, who works as a carpenter, has been making his tiny graphite works for about 25 years
A sculpture of Elvis Presley wearing shades, carved from a single pencil
The 49 year old said: “At school I would carve a friend’s name into the wood of a pencil and then give it to them as a present. Later, when I got into sculpture, I would make these huge pieces from things like wood, but decided I wanted to challenge myself by trying to make things as small as possible. I experimented sculpting with different materials, such as chalk, but one day I had an eureka moment and decided to carve into the graphite of a pencil”
A tiny saw, using both the wood and graphite of a single pencil
Dalton uses three basic tools to make his incredible creations – a razor blade, sewing needle and sculpting knife. He even refuses to use a magnifying glass and has never sold any of his work, only given it away to friends. He said: “I use the sewing needle to make holes or dig into the graphite. I scratch and create lines and turn the graphite around slowly in my hand”
The longest Dalton has spent on one piece was two and half years on a pencil with interlinking chains. A standard figure will take several months. He said: “The interlinking chains took the most effort and I was really pleased with it because it’s so intricate people think it must be two pencils”
When Dalton, from Connecticut, USA, first started he would become frustrated when a piece would break before being finished after he had spent months working on it. He said: “It would drive me mad when I would be just a bit too heavy handed and the pencil’s tip would break. I would get very nervous sometimes, particularly when the piece was almost finished, and then I would make a mistake. I decided to change the way I thought about the work – when I started a new piece my attitude would be ‘well this will break eventually but let’s see how far I get. It helped me break fewer pencils, and although I still do break them, it’s not as often”
A tiny key hangs from a ring
Dalton, who is originally from Brazil, has a box full of more than 100 sculptures that have broken while working on them that he affectionately calls ‘the cemetery collection’. He said: “I have quite a few broken pieces so I decided to glue them on pins and into styrofoam for a display case. People might think it’s weird I keep them but they’re still interesting. I worked on them for months so they might be dead now but at one point I gave them life”
Dalton has made about 100 carvings, and is currently working on an epic piece inspired by the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. He said: “I decided to make a teardrop pencil carving for each of the people who died in the attack, about 3,000. Since 2002 I have carved one every day, it takes me under an hour. When I’m done they will form one big tear drop. It will take me about 10 years but it will be worth it”
Two interlocking hearts, carved from one pencil
“I don’t make any money from it but that’s not what it’s about for me. However, I would love for a gallery owner in England to fly me over to put on a show,” he said
Dalton hollowed out the centre of the wood, then carved the central column of graphite to create this hanging, linked heart
Carved from the graphite in a normal pencil: A tiny hammer
Carved from the graphite in a normal pencil: A tiny button
This carving shows a goblet being held by a hand, all carved from one pencil’s graphite
Carved from the graphite in a normal pencil: A highly-detailed boot
A miniature graphite chair
Using the eraser end of a pencil, Dalton created a tiny cross sculpture from the internal graphite
A mini mailbox on a post
An intricately- detailed screw, carved in one piece from a pencil’s graphite
Sheesh! How talented can you get…
Casual Friday Entertainment – the paraprosdokian
A paraprosdokian
surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to
reframe or reinterpret the first part.
Some paraprosdokians not only change the meaning of an early phrase, but
also play on the double meaning of a particular word, creating a syllepsis.
– I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole
a bike and asked for forgiveness.
– Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat
you with experience.
– Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a
garage makes you a car.
– The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on the list.
– Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright
until you hear them speak.
– If I agreed with you we’d both be wrong.
– We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
– War does not determine who is right – only who is left.
– Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a
fruit salad.
– The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
– Evening news is where they begin with ‘Good evening’, and then proceed
to tell you why it isn’t.
– To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is
research.
– A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train
stops. On my desk, I have a work station.
– How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a
whole box to start a campfire?
– Some people are like Slinkies … not really good for anything, but you
can’t help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.
– Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can
train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
– I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted pay checks.
– A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you
don’t need it.
– Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says “If an
emergency, notify:” I put “DOCTOR”.
– I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
– I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with “Guess” on it…so I said
“Implants?”
– Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars,
but check when you say the paint is wet?
– Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street
with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
– Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50
for Miss America ?
– Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a
successful man is usually another woman.
– A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
– You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to
skydive twice.
– The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!
– Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back.
– A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that
you will look forward to the trip.
– Hospitality: making your guests feel like they’re at home, even if you
wish they were.
– Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
– Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.
can’t get away.
– I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not sure.
shot of tequila.
– When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department
usually uses water.
– You’re never too old to learn something stupid.
– To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit
the target.
– Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
– Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no
imagination whatsoever.
-A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when
you are in it.
– If you are supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some people have
more than one child?
– I discovered I scream the same way whether I’m about to be devoured by a
great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot.
Labor Day for Writers
Happy Labor Day Folks!
Maybe some of you are enjoying a nice palooza event with the kids, soaking up the last rays of the summer sun and tasting blueberry snowcones on your tongue, picking off the flecks of powdered sugar from your pants; thanks to a funnel cake…
or maybe you are a writer.
Maybe you are still bleeding over your keyboard and trying “unsuccessfully” to overcome your writer’s block, or maybe your fingers are flying over the keys because your muse has inspired your mojo and it is flowing freely; You just can’t take a break for fear of breaking this magical moment. Nah, that’s not you or you wouldn’t be reading this.
Seriously though, do readers get a labor day? Intellectual work is still laborious work. Our fingers cramp, our backs hurt from too many hours in the office chair (or on the floor), our bodies get exhausted. But do we take the time to have a vacation day? Do we, writers, actually stop or do we continue to push ourselves past the point of no return? Without us, what would other people read on their labor day vacation? Without us, progress of the written word would be halted. We are a needed group.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; – Shakespeare
And we sure do shed our blood for the goof of the world. Without us, literature would cease, without us prose would not exist. We are story-tellers, we are informers, we are history recorders, and we bleed over our work. We pour all that we are into our work, if we don’t then we are nothing. Anais Nin was not lying when she said:
“If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don’t write, because our culture has no use for it.”
Ernest Hemingway knows what I am talking about, or maybe I know what he meant when he said:
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
So, while others enjoy the last days of summer, we happy few will dig into the imaginations we live in and bleed onto the pages until something worth reading pops out. We will continue to labor, sometimes in vain, but labor nonetheless, and on Labor Day when hard work is honored, we will work all the harder. And remember that even though we are alone in our works, we are together in the world.
Casual Friday Image
Mmmmm. That just looks bad doesn’t it? You have to wonder…
By the way, if anyone has some funny pictures or jokes for our Casual Friday laugh sessions, send ’em my way.
Vook – The new digital Book
Has anyone tried a Vook, yet?
I was recently asked to review a Vook and I have to say, I find it quite interesting. The Vook is what I consider a video and a book put together. The one I reviewed was by acclaimed paranormal romance author; Sherrilyn Kenyon. It’s titled Dark-Hunter: An Insider’s Guide.
You can check out my actual reviews on Suite101 and Examiner.com. They contain different info, so read them both.
But I wanted to mention a quick note here and see if I was the only one who hadn’t heard of a Vook. Geeze, I didn’t realize how technologically lame I was until I realized Vook was founded back in 2008 and I had never heard of it. Tons of authors are there in numerous genres: Deepak Chopra, Anne Rice, etc. But this was my first dab into Vook world.
Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Vook was neat though. You can download it for iPads, iPhones or touch screen iPods or in website format (which the technologically disadvantaged me did). I also chose to read the Vook in combo format, where I could read the story on my right, and watch author interviews on the left. This particular Vook had 5 short stories of Kenyon’s, some that were never-before-seen, pictures, and of course the interviews.
Sherry was interviewed in the very office she writes her novels in and gave readers a little insight into each story, which I found fascinating as a writer and not just a fan. Something else that I found cool, was how the Vook linked character names in the stories to their corresponding character profiles on Kenyon’s website. So, the characters I hadn’t heard of before, or couldn’t remember, I could brush up on while reading the story. Very cool in my opinion.
Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Vook was just released on August 8th of this year, so I am glad I got a first take on it, by the way…you can buy it here if you want…for cheap, might I add.
So if any of you guys have had an experience with a Vook, let me know…actually, if you have never heard of Vook, let me know too so I don’t feel all alone in the world. 🙂 Really though, I recommend Vook, if you haven’t tried it. The new wave in reading technology is getting better and better each time.
Laugh Love Write 
