Censorship Week: Susan from Waste Paper Prose
Welcome to Bookalicious and Censorship week. We all know I am a huge advocate for censoring in your own home and leaving others to do what they wish in their own. Instead of giving you post after post of my own opinion, I wanted to bring in some other awesome bloggers to give us their take on censorship and what it means to them personally and their thoughts on what it means to us as a society. Humans through the ages have always banned, censored, rallied against, and protested anything that fell beyond their comfort zones. Whether that zone is in place due to religion, upbringing, or personal morals I have never understood the need to force others to your mentality. As bloggers we have the platform to be anti-censorship. To be a flagship of open content and doing and saying on our own blogs what we see fit. We must outwardly oppose censorship of any piece of literature, even if we are censoring it in our own homes. What if we are the next to be censored? Freedom of journalistic integrity and blogging taken away. What then?
What Susan from Waste Paper Prose has to say:
I’m a first amendment kind of girl. I’m an express-yourself-and-don’t-give-a-damn-what-other-people-think kind of girl. And admittedly, I’m the kind of girl who doesn’t hold back when I’ve got something to say, even when it could get me in trouble.
Opinions matter. They generate debate and spawn ideas. They shake up the status quo, force people to take a deeper look at issues, and hold the potential for solution and innovation. The problem is that sometimes people aren’t terribly keen on hearing the opinions of others.
Therein lies the root of censorship.
It’s a phenomenon that has always fascinated me. Whenever anything forces people to look at something they don’t want to see or consider a point of view that’s not their own then eradication always seems to be the answer. Eliminate the offending material. Wipe it off the face of the Earth. Sweep it under the rug. Forget about it. And most importantly, never consider the possibility that you could learn something.
Trouble is that the quest to do away whatever it is usually creates more buzz. I know my ears perk up when I hear about any instance of censorship. They have since I was a teenager. If it was off limits then I had to see what the big deal was.
That’s how I found Forever by Judy Blume. It was in the top ten on the American Library Association’s list of most challenged books for a decade solid, from 1990-2000, because it contained suggestive language and depictions of teenage sexuality and sexual intercourse. Learning it had been challenged sealed the deal for me. I had to read it. When I did, I wasn’t the least bit shocked or offended. Why? Because it felt real.
In retrospect, the moment I finished that book might have been the same one in which I came to understand that just because something is challenged, censored or banned doesn’t mean that it’s inherently bad. In most cases, it just means that the book, or whatever the item in question may be, pushed boundaries and that someone, somewhere was offended by it.
By no means am I advocating for every controversial book in existence nor am I saying that everyone will value these books or find insight in their pages. What I am saying is censorship isn’t an absolute. It’s the product of opinions. It’s someone saying “you shouldn’t read this because I don’t approve of it”.
Ultimately, you have to make up your own mind.
Censorship Week: Gail from Ticket to Anywhere
Here is what Gail from Ticket to Anywhere has to say:
Growing up I was pretty lucky, my parents had a good income and so I never wanted for anything. It is also because of my parents that I developed a love of reading at an early age. My dad used to read my bedtime stories and as I got older and started to read on my own they used books as a reward. In book stores or the library I was free to browse and take home any book that I wanted. My parents could have told me that I couldn’t read book x or y but they never did. Did they look at what I read? Sure. My mom would even borrow books that I checked out or bought after I read them if I really enjoyed them. But they never told me I couldn’t read something. They knew what a fraidy cat I could be and knew if something got too graphic that I would stop reading before I scared myself into nightmares. My parents trusted me to self-censor what I thought I could and couldn’t handle.
Its because of this freedom that I’ve been able to go out and explore topics that I haven’t experienced first hand. Its through reading books that I can learn the horrors that exist in the world and learn from the experiences of others. I can pick up books by Ellen Hopkins and learn about the long term effects of drug use and get a better and longer lasting argument on why drugs are bad. One that works far far better than those “Just Say No” campaigns. I can also pick up Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran and learn about a world and culture so very different from my own. I can see through another person’s eyes about how dangerous an idea can be to some people. But Nafisi also shows the courage and strength and the amazing things that some people will do to keep that spark of free thought alive. To think that if she’d been caught reading books like Daisy Miller or Lolita that she could have been beaten, imprisoned or even killed is mind boggling to me.
Books are filled with ideas. They are filled with the thoughts and possibilities of others. They are a record of our history, of where we came from, where we are and where we could be in the future. Words can create a spark that make people think and evaluate how the world is. What if Upton Sinclair never wrote The Jungle? What if no one read it? Would the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) exist as we know it today if this book didn’t exist? For it is because of this book, this work of fiction that people in the US sat up, took notice and began to realize just what horrible places the meat packing plants in the US were. Through a piece of fiction legislation was made and there are now standards to be followed. If someone had censored this book from being published or read then the public wouldn’t have reacted as they did and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 would probably never have been created. The Bureau of Chemistry never established and therefore it never would have turned into the FDA in 1930.
Just stop and think on that for a moment. Just think about the power that a book had on the world that we know today. The Jungle is just one book among millions. One thought. One person’s viewpoint that created so much out of nothing. So when I hear about other books being banned and words censored my blood begins to boil a little. I think about all those books that have had an effect on who I am. How I think and even the industry that I work in. If it wasn’t for The Jungle then the industry that I’ve made my career in probably wouldn’t exist. Where would I be today if it wasn’t for this book?
Yes, books and ideas can be scary things. They can shake your thoughts up and touch your soul. They can reaffirm your beliefs and they can make you think about the world around you. I love the books that make me question who I am and the world around me. The stories that make me wonder if I am making the right choices. Its these books that keep me aware of the world around me. That make me want to stand up and say something when I see something unjust happening. Its so easy to ban a thought or to suppress an idea because it challenges you. But to say nothing. To do nothing. To assume that because you aren’t directly affected by an issue that you can ignore it and life will be fine. To me, saying nothing is a quiet acceptance. To not do something because I am not black or gay or the affected party is the same as saying that I am ok with liberties being suppressed. Censorship effects everyone not just those being censored. I could go on and on and on but will stop with this one last thought from Martin Niemöller who says it far better then I could even imagine.
“First they came for the Communists ;
I did not speak because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews ;
I did not speak because I was not a Jew.
Then they came to fetch the workers, members of trade unions ;
I did not speak because I was not a trade unionist.
Afterwards, they came for the Catholics ;
I did not say anything because I was a Protestant.
Eventually they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak …”
Martin Niemöller,Pastor
Dachau, 1942.
The next time you see or hear of someone/something being censored think of Niemoller’s quote. Ask yourself, if you were the effected party would you want others to speak for you? And ask yourself when you see unjustice what might happen if you don’t speak up. Never think that your voice doesn’t matter. One person can make a difference. You don’t think so? After all what can one person do in such a vast sea of humanity?
Well just look at what Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman wrote about that in their book Into the Labyrinth: “In the vastness of the ocean, is any drop of water greater than another? No single drop has the ability to cause a tidal wave. But, I argue, if a single drop falls into the ocean, it creates ripples. And these ripples spread. And perhaps – who knows – these ripples may grow and swell and eventually break foaming upon the shore. Like a drop in the vast ocean, each of us causes ripples as we move through our lives. The effects of whatever we do – insignificant as it may seem – spread out beyond us. We may never know what far-reaching impact even the simplest action might have on our fellow mortals. Thus, we need to be conscious, all of the time, of our place in the ocean, of our place in the world, of our place among our fellow creatures. For, if enough of us join forces, we can swell the tide of events – for good or evil.”
Really makes you think doesn’t it? We are all drops in an ocean and as such we all have the power to make tidal waves of change. Always question what you don’t understand. Never stop learning. Never stop fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves. We’re all in this together. You might think that by banning one book, one voice, that nothing will happen. That its irrelevant and won’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. But what if that one voice was the one that would create a wave that would lead to the end of cancer or AIDS or to the creation of the FDA. Suddenly, it doesn’t seem like such a small thing after all, does it?
Censorship Week: There’s a Book
Here is what Danielle from There’s a Book has to say.
Censorship and My Children
With the recent activity in the world of book banning and censorship, as well as a recent review I wrote, I haven’t been able to get away from this topic. So, I’m actually quite happy Pam has given me the opportunity to chat a bit about this often touchy subject.
About three months ago I read and reviewed the book Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James (You can read my review here: http://www.theresabook.com/2010/06/book-review-beautiful-malice-by-rebecca-james/). A profound book, covering topics like friendship, underage drinking and drug use, teen pregnancy, gang rape and murder, and much, much more. As an adult I found the book to be beautifully written and one I’d highly recommend to many of my friends. But upon completing the book I questioned it’s appropriateness for the young adult audience, being that it was placed in that genre. I sought out the opinions of others, friends and strangers alike, and came to no certain conclusion with one exception. Censorship, or in this case screening, is something best kept within the walls of your own home.
The books we read have a personal impact on us, individual and unique to each reader. Whether we are age ten or sixty, our reading preferences can vary from comedy to horror the way one person enjoys chocolate versus licorice. Just because I’m a chocolate person doesn’t give me the right to deny my husband his favorite black licorice treat. Nor could I deny another the privilege of their favorite author or the potential of a new book series. And even more deeply, how could I deny a person, no matter their age, the comfort and/or escape they so often long for?
Now, my children, on the other hand fall into a different category. I’m responsible for them. I care for them and hopefully teach them the things they need to know to be happy and successful in their lives. Yes, we are a religious family, in fact we happen to be Mormon. And yes, it does influence the way I live my life, how could it not? But I don’t feel my religious views give me license to inflict my beliefs on others and deny them the opportunity of making discoveries of their own. Some will argue with me on that, but that’s my opinion. If you have questions about my beliefs, feel free to ask, but I’m not going to impose them on you when you aren’t honestly seeking them out.
So how does that apply to my feelings on censorship. My beliefs as well as many of the life experiences I’ve had affect the choices I make; including what I read, the things I choose to take into my body and yes, how I parent my children (not yours). I have no more right to tell you, or someone I’ve never even met before what they (or their children) can or cannot read. By so doing it would conflict with the very core of my beliefs which center around the ability to have freedom in your choices.
Chances are, my daughter and son will not be reading Beautiful Malice until I feel they are mature enough to handle the subject matter. I grew up in a home where things like sex, drinking, doing drugs and similar topics were discussed openly and frequently. I’m hoping to carry on that tradition with my children and by so doing give them the opportunity to discuss these difficult subjects when they encounter them, whether it be in “real” life or in a book/movie. Unfortunately, not every child has the same home environment I hope to raise my children in and often books can be a huge source of strength and comfort to those seeking answers.
As someone who promotes literacy and education, how could I possibly deny a child these stories? If a parent struggles with a difficult subject and the appropriateness of it in their child, then they need to talk with their child about it and not the superintendent of the local school district. Sorry, they may “care”, but where were they when your child was learning to walk? You’ve always been there for your child, be there for them with their choices in media. Truly, if they know how you feel and have an honest relationship with you, the choice will be easy for them.
Censorship Week: My Friend Amy
Here is what Amy from My Friend Amy has to say:
One of the things I most love about reading is that it is a low risk way to confront my prejudices. Often, going into a book, I have no idea that some of my ideas about life or people might be challenged. I might not realize that I’ll be asked to slip into the mind of someone very different from myself and feel the things they feel as they experience a variety of situations I may never experience. I really believe that reading fiction allows me to become a more sympathetic person.
This is one of the reasons I cannot tolerate the idea of censorship. Granted, I have always read what I wanted to read. It’s a freedom I do not take for granted, especially as I’m learning more and more about book banning. Censorship is a form of control that should not be tolerated in our society. Censorship is when one person or groups of people try to shape the information intake and thus the way another group of people thinks. This usually benefits a majority rules type mindset. This is particularly cruel, because books are often where we first discover we are truly not alone.
Are books a cause for fear? Well yes. Because reading by its very nature encourages thought, sympathy, empathy, imagination, and the changing of one’s mind. If you are seeking a world uniform in thought, a world that is grey, where injustice goes unnoticed, and everyone is exactly the same then books are the most terrifying objects there are. Books contain the the story of us, of all of us, humans working out our different situations through artistry, trying to make sense of the messy, holy, mystery of life. But no book is a simple object and no reading experience invites a uniform response. Each individual responds and reacts to what they find in the pages of a book in a way that is unique to them.
Living in this world is hard. There is no reason to make it harder by trying to control the way we think, by barring books that express a different worldview from ours from the shelves, by robbing ourselves of the chance to feel a little more human compassion for one another, to feel angry by injustice, to feel empowered to realize we are not alone. Can’t we put aside our fear and instead open our ears and start talking to one another instead?
Dear Publicist
Dear Publicist,
I love receiving your pitches via email. It makes me ever so happy to open each and every one. I think hard about what to accept for review. I ask myself questions like:
Will it fit in my audience?
Can I do anything to promote this book successfully?
Do I have time to read and review it in a timely manner with my other commitments?
I want to help you market your product to readers! I accept books in loads of formats to make it easier for you. I worked really hard on my policy page to get all important info there for you in one place so that you don’t have to search my blog for anything.
Alas, you never read the page though do you? This week alone I have had 16 pitches that started with “Hi Blogger” or “Dear Bookalicio”. What the heck is a Bookalicio? The pitches have ranged from books on how to meet guys, cookbooks, how to gain entry to heaven, what to do in your golden years and more.
If you would take the five seconds in the future to read my policy page it would be awesome. It will tell you that my name is Pam, my blog name is Bookalicious and I review Middle Grade and Young Adult material.
I love you I really do but we have to find some common ground here. I just want to help you get your books out to an audience that will appreciate them. Reviewing books that don’t reach my target isn’t helping you at all. I bet if you read the policy page of bloggers before you sent the books out you could create even more of a buzz for your titles by finding niche blogs that really support what you are pitching and have an audience for it.
I hope to hear from you again soon,
Pam van Hylckama Vlieg / blogger / bookalicio
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