Banning Books

There has been a lot of press recently about books that have been banned throughout the years. I thought you might enjoy this letter from a fairly well known Southerner, Harper Lee. When she learned in 1966, six years after the book was published, that Virginia’s Hanover County School Board had removed her book To Kill a Mockingbird from its school libraries and labeled the book immoral, she did what any self-respecting author would do.

She wrote a letter. Her letter went to the editor of the Richmond News Leader and politely included a donation (rumored to be $10) to their Beadle Bumble Fund. The newspaper’s fund had been in place for seven years to highlight and compensate "official stupidities."

In response to Lee’s letter and contribution, the newspaper gave free copies of To Kill a Mockingbird to every child who requested one. It would seem she made her point.

Monroeville, Alabama
January, 1966

Editor, The News Leader:

Recently I have received echoes down this way of the Hanover County School Board's activities, and what I've heard makes me wonder if any of its members can read.

Surely it is plain to the simplest intelligence that "To Kill a Mockingbird" spells out in words of seldom more than two syllables a code of honor and conduct, Christian in its ethic, that is the heritage of all Southerners. To hear that the novel is "immoral" has made me count the years between now and 1984, for I have yet to come across a better example of doublethink.

I feel, however, that the problem is one of illiteracy, not Marxism. Therefore I enclose a small contribution to the Beadle Bumble Fund that I hope will be used to enroll the Hanover County School Board in any first grade of its choice.

Harper Lee

The action of the Hanover County School Board is not particularly unique. Since publication, To Kill a Mockingbird has been removed from other school libraries and challenged by many more. Complaints center around the book’s racial and sexual themes. When I read about these banning incidents, I try to see them as a parent and a grandparent. When I read the book for the first time,  I was an adult. I saw a white Southern lawyer of integrity choosing to defend a black Southern man of equal integrity spread across the pages. I was shocked, stunned, and sickened by the events in the book, scenes that forced me to see the South I loved differently. One reason the book remains on the best selling list is the prejudices people of all races and ethnicities see in its pages, the shock of seeing themselves on the page. The Help recently caused a similar sensation.

The American Library Association reports that To Kill a Mockingbird has remained in the top 100 most challenged books since its publication. It continues to remain in the top ten books that get complaints - 50 years after first seeing the light of day! Least you think this is an American issue, Canada and some European countries have worried about their children being exposed to the “vile” language in the book.

In the United States today, school violence continues to escalate by students on students, bleak issues involving politics rear their nasty heads weekly, including gun control and claims of police brutality, a sexual assault occurs every 2 minutes (44% on children under the age of 17). Is it logical to ignore biographical information that might spur change? Can we preempt violence with knowledge? Have we learned anything by ignoring and glossing over attitudes and actions of bygone eras? Are we so ashamed of our past that we cannot discuss it and learn from it?

Literature is a vital resource from which to teach our children and ourselves about a world infested with both problems and solutions in the hopes that they never experience them personally. Hiding behind platitudes does not diminish the truth, it extols it, feeding the flames of misunderstanding and hatred.

Teens in my writing classes are sophisticated, enmeshed in a world at their fingertips, yet still

vulnerable. Reading and discussing fiction is an important way for them to learn the truth about history, not a varnished textbook diatribe of data, but an insight into the people who lived the history, made mistakes and made strides. It gives them an outlet to discuss their own fears and the violence in their world.

Well-read teens and adults are more open to new ideas, open to opportunities for change and growth, and open to meaningful dialogue: the agility to find our similarities and appreciate our differences.

Authors have a sacred responsibility to share the universe and all its many facets.

Long  Live Books!                                                                  Write like you mean it!

Mahala

The Time is Nigh

“The time has come,”the Walrus said, “to talk of many things...”

(Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass)

 

I. Happy New Year to you all! As you are aware I have been conspicuously absent from our blog for a time. It seems Santa had a special surprise for me and gave me a new hip. Surgery went well and I am sneaking back onto my computer a little more every day. I hope all of you had wonderful holidays and are off to productive and exciting new beginnings in 2013. Least you think I missed the New Year’s Eve festivities; I shared a can of squirt cheese, some crackers, and a glass of punch with the wonderful staff at CrowneHealth Care. I was the lucky one because I got to have a pain pill with mine.

II. Crowne Health Care on Navco took excellent care of me and got me back on my feet. A big shout out to all of you!

III. Congratulations to cj on her new book! The cover is perfect and the story is excellent. I had the privilege of being in her critique group and watched the development of Deadly Star. I saw how hard she worked to carve out the perfect sentences with the perfect words. Be sure and get your copy when they are hot off the presses and enjoy this contemporary thriller. It is truly a page turner.

 

IV. Barefoot Writing Academy was born last year and is the name of my creative writing school for adults and children over eight. I’m accepting registrations for spring classes. Here is a brief description of each.

Creative Writing in Fiction (Adults age 18 & up) Excellent class for beginners and those who want to learn more about the craft of writing. This creative writing class explores the genres of fiction and the conventions that define them. Students read a mix of classic and contemporary work. Key concepts addressed include characterization, point of view, setting, dialogue, and narrative to build a story arc. Saturday 2:00 – 4:00. Six weeks. March 9, 2013 – April 13, 2013. $150.00 includes registration fee, class fees, class materials, and textbook. Class size is not limited but requires at least five for the class to make. Shoes are optional.

Connect the Thoughts (5 – 8 grades) Can a lion share a cupcake with an astronaut? As an author, you have the power to decide. Students explore writing as it relates to entertainment. Storyboards are introduced to create stories for animated movies and television, situation comedies, and books. Through writing, students create characters, go on great adventures, and envision surprise story lines along the way. Classes work together to explore the functions of writing and build their writing skills. Wednesday. 3:30 –4:30. Begins March 6 2013 – April 24.

The Happy Dance (8 – 12 grades) This class strengthens writing skills to improve overall academic performance. Through word games, a review of the basic elements of the English language is completed. Students immediately put their knowledge to work building written reports and stories from nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs of their choosing. Key concepts to create successful written projects help students express themselves clearly through strengthened writing skills and critical thinking. In a no-pressure environment, they work both independently and in collaborative projects to have fun and learn the functions of words leading to success in school. Wednesday 4:45 –5:45. Begins March 6, 2013 – April 24.

Explore the Possibilities (8– 12 grades). Flash fiction and other writing exercises stimulate writing maturity and appropriate word usage while developing team-building skills. Questions to stimulate critical thinking and creativity lead discussions: What superpowers would you like to have? Then what? What do you want to do after you graduate from high school? How? What qualities make a good friend? Why? Key concepts in creative writing are addressed: action, characterization, dialogue, and narrative. Wednesday 6:15 –7:15. Begins March 6 2013 – April 24.

Class size is limited to ten students and requires at least five for the class to make. Shoes are optional. Discounts for multiple classes and siblings. Contact me at mahalachurch@gmail.com to register.

V. Stuff and Nonsense Contest The MAC Contest was such a success in 2012 that I’ve decided to continue with a 2013 contest but with some changes. You can read the guidelines at the left of the screen, but the major changes are the new name – Stuff and Nonsense ( I love all things Anglophile), submissions up to 500 words every month, and prose only. I’m really not comfortable judging poetry. For you poets, this gives you the opportunity to test your prowess at prose. I will continue to give you required words or phrases to incorporate into your work. As you can see from my spring classes, I’m celebrating Dr. Seuss this year, so to that end, every month will celebrate some of his work.

VI. Thanks to cj for holding down the fort while I was busy learning to count leg lifts and popping wheelies on my walker!

Mahala