tagged w/ Maya Angelou
-
September 28th, 2010
12:06 PM ET
In tradition of Twain, authors lash out at censors this week
John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" was one of the most commonly banned books between 1990-2009.
Happy Banned Book Week, This Just In readers!
Librarians, wordsmiths and discerning readers the nation over are beating their bound volumes this week in protest of those who seek to censor literary works.
The commemorations range from banned book displays to wrapping books in caution tape to having people read outlawed books from a makeshift jail cell.
It should be no surprise devotees to the written word are incensed by efforts to ban books. History shows their longstanding commitment to keeping literature untrammeled.
Mark Twain is oft-credited with saying, "Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it." German poet Heinrich Heine more seriously addressed the matter in an 1821 play, warning, "Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people."
The prediction came 112 years before Nazis burned thousands of books in a public square. The quote from Heine, whose books were among those burned in 1933, is engraved in the ground at the Bebelplatz to remind people of the tragic day.
Across the United States this week, several groups are making similar - though less prodigious - statements about attempts to ban or censor books.
According to the American Library Association, there were at least 460 challenges to books in schools and libraries last year. The association estimates that the number could represent as few as a fifth of the total challenges because many are never reported.
"Not every book is right for each reader, but we should have the right to think for ourselves and allow others to do the same," ALA President Roberta Stevens said in a news release titled, "Book banning alive and well in the U.S."
Here is the ALA's list of top banned/challenged books over the last decade:
1. "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling
2. "Alice" series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3. "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
4. "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
5. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
6. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
7. "Scary Stories" series by Alvin Schwartz
8. "His Dark Materials" series by Philip Pullman
9. "ttyl" series by Lauren Myracle
10. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
Some of these works have long been the target of censors. Schwartz's, Angelou's, Cormier's and Steinbeck's offerings were actually on the top 10 list for the previous decade, according to the ALA.
The ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom defines a challenge as any "formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness." The complaints most often come from parents, and not all challenges result in bans.
Sexually explicit material and offensive language are commonly cited as top complaints, but the ALA says books have also been challenged because they're violent, "anti-family," unsuited to an age group, or because they contain violence, homosexuality or religious viewpoints.
However, The Baltimore Sun points out that the reasons can be a little more frivolous: "A Light in the Attic" was banned because it encouraged children to break plates so they wouldn't have to dry them; "Little Red Riding Hood" caused problems because the wine in the picnic basket condoned alcohol use; and "The Rabbit's Wedding" became controversial because one bunny was black, the other white, thereby encouraging miscegenation.
Various bookstores, schools and libraries this week will erect banned book displays and host authors whose works have drawn the ire of censors. Colleges like the University of Arizona and DePauw University will have such displays, and Arizona will focus on "To Kill a Mockingbird" (No. 21 among banned books over the last decade) and offer students a free screening of the movie Tuesday. The book is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Southern California will wrap banned books in yellow-and-black caution tape and encourage students to review the books for gift cards and candy.
At the Kalamazoo Public Library in Michigan and at Indigo Bridge Books in Lincoln, Nebraska, local artists are creating pieces commemorating books that have been yanked from shelves.
Several libraries and bookstores are holding readings of banned books, and the Yuma County Library District in Arizona has rounded up volunteers to sit in its makeshift jail cell and read for a term of 30 minutes. Last year, the sheriff was among the participants, the Yuma Sun reported.
In Chicago, Illinois, where the ALA is headquartered, banned authors Myracle and Carolyn Mackler are scheduled to share their experiences Saturday in Bughouse Square. Chbosky, Richardson and Parnell could possibly show up as well. The City Lit Theater Company will perform work from authors who can't make the event.
The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression has myriad ways - grand and quaint - to celebrate the week if there isn't an event near you.
Banned Book Week runs through Saturday.September 28th, 2010
12:06 PM ET
In tradition of Twain, authors lash out at... more
-
-
"Pulitzer Prize-nominated author and poet Maya Angelou was taken to the hospital Sunday for as-yet-unknown causes, TMZ.com reported.
Angelou, 81, was in Los Angeles to be honored at the BraveHeartAwards, celebrating women who have made changes in their professional fields. Other celebrities scheduled to attend the weekend-long ceremonies were Mariel Hemingway and Courteney Cox, according to the awards' site.
Angelou gained worldwide fame with her literary activism in the Civil Rights movement and for works like "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," an autobiographical account of her childhood and early teenage years. The book recounted Angelou's experience with sexual abuse and rape at the age of 8 at the hands of her mother's boyfriend.
She was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for her 1971 poetry collection, "Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie."
EDIT: It is now being reported that TMZ and the several other sites that reported Angelou's hospitalization were incorrect. It was even being reported that she was dead, but ...
"Contrary to TMZ report, Maya Angelou is fine, at home, & wasn't even in LA Sat nite, said her literary agent Helen Brann," Tweeted CNN Wire news editor Saeed Ahmed."
So there you go. Sorry for the fuss!"Pulitzer Prize-nominated author and poet Maya Angelou was taken to the hospital... more
-
-
What is this so called “good-hair” that is defined in the Black community? Funny man Chris Rock has investigated term in his documentary film “Good Hair.” Rock was inspired by this production from his daughter who came to comedian and asked, “Daddy, why don’t I have good-hair.”What is this so called “good-hair” that is defined in the Black community?... more
-
-
Dr.Maya Angelou is the inaugural poet.Watch as she reads a poem to President Elect Barack Obama!Dr.Maya Angelou is the inaugural poet.Watch as she reads a poem to President Elect... more
-
-
At 80, Maya Angelou says her "knees are not all that swift and my lungs need some extra help but other than that, my desire to learn and to share, that has not abated."
Maya Angelou urges politicians to "aim for the high ground" in her new book, "Letter to My Daughter."
Maya Angelou urges politicians to "aim for the high ground" in her new book, "Letter to My Daughter."
She shares what she's learned in an eventful life in her best-selling new book, "Letter to My Daughter." Angelou achieved fame for her autobiographical writing, including "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and her poetry.
She read her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at President Clinton's first inauguration. She was only the second poet invited to read at the swearing in of a new president.
But her career has had many facets -- Angelou has been a singer, dancer, playwright, director and teacher.
In 166 pages, "Letter to My Daughter" distills stories from Angelou's life into universal lessons. She writes about birth, life and death, about the ways people misunderstand each other and then transcend their conflict. She calls on national leaders to raise the country's spirit and on Americans to remember that this is the nation that defeated the Nazis and expanded people's freedom through the civil rights movement.
"Politicians must set their aims for the high ground and according to our various leanings, Democratic, Republican, Independent, we will follow," she writes. "Politicians must be told if they continue to sink into the mud of obscenity, they will proceed alone."
In an interview last week in her 1881 brownstone in Harlem, decorated in vibrant, bright colors, Angelou sat at the round table in her dining room, sipping coffee, as she talked about the election and her work. At 80, Maya Angelou says her "knees are not all that swift and my lungs need some... more
-
-
jkw077
-
added this
-
3 years ago
- |
-
3/31/2008 11:45:30 AM
This entry is part of a series in celebration of Women's History Month.
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
This is not the first time you have seen Hillary Clinton seemingly at her wits end, but she has always risen, always risen, much to the dismay of her adversaries and the delight of her friends.
Hillary Clinton will not give up on you and all she asks of you is that you do not give up on her.
There is a world of difference between being a woman and being an old female. If you’re born a girl, grow up, and live long enough, you can become an old female. But, to become a woman is a serious matter. A woman takes responsibility for the time she takes up and the space she occupies.
Hillary Clinton is a woman. She has been there and done that and has still risen. She is in this race for the long haul. She intends to make a difference in our country.
She is the prayer of every woman and man who long for fair play, healthy families, good schools, and a balanced economy.
3/31/2008 11:45:30 AM
This entry is part of a series in celebration of Women's... more
-
-
First Tony Morrison backs Barack Obama and now in Georgia, the Hillary Clinton campaign is set to go up with a radio ad featuring the amazing Maya Angelou, entitled "My Girl" along with one by Magic Johnson.
Here are some highlights from the AD:
"As a child, Hillary Clinton was taught that all God's children are equal, so as a mother she understood that her child wasn't safe unless all children were safe. I know what kind of president Hillary Clinton will be because I know who she is. Hillary Clinton has always been a strong woman and a passionate protector of families. For 35 years, that's exactly what she has been doing.
Each generation stands on the shoulders of those who came before. Today, the challenges facing us threaten the dreams we have had for our children. We need a president with the experience and strength to meet those challenges.
I am inspired by Hillary Clinton. A daughter, a wife, a mother -- my girl."
Very interesting how the media says these endorsements play such a huge part in who people are leaning towards to vote. Do they impact you at all as a voter? First Tony Morrison backs Barack Obama and now in Georgia, the Hillary Clinton... more
-
