Why I love efforts to ban books
Monday, March 7, 2022 at 11:28AM
There is nothing quite like a “Do Not Touch” sign near an object that makes me want to put my fingertips on it. I can’t be the only contrarian who has these impulses.
Nor am I the only reader for whom books on a “banned” list are must-reads. Do those who wish to limit the reading of others by keeping books away from them, realize how their actions actually have the opposite effect? Especially kids.
There is the common, and I believe accurate, perception that banning books increases their popularity. Banned books certainly get a lot of press and the awareness of a title leads to more readers. There is that undeniable thrill of learning something that is naughty. Many of us like to be challenged by thinking that may be outside societal norms - or at least outside the norms of our own families and communities. And, ah well, there is something in the adolescent brain that simply loves being subversive - a something that some of us never outgrow.
I’ve written a number of books and sadly none of them were ever placed on a banned list. But should I write another one, I am going to be damned-well certain that some parents and politicians will find it unsuitable, especially for young people. Perhaps I’ll compose a racy novel with a sexually non-conforming protagonist and a racially stereotyped antagonist - all seasoned with a good dose of critical race theory, a dollop of cancel culture, and a touch of profanity. Ought to get a few old fart’s undies in enough of a bunch to raise the curiosity of readers. And raise my sales.
So go, book banners, go! Let’s keep those books that make people actually think in the limelight. I, for one, appreciate your efforts.
Reader Comments (2)
I agree that something declared "off-limits" holds a certain appeal and therefore popularity. When you hold a book up and say, "DON'T READ THIS!" the automatic response is to wonder, "Why not?" The only way to answer that question is to read it. I know I'm the same way when an article is posted in a Teacher Group with the caption: "Don't read the comments on the original article." It's bad for me. It will make me cringe. I have to read them. Morbid curiosity is its own advertisement.
On the other hand, I wonder how it feels to be "banned". I'm sure a banned author feels a certain sense of pride; if backward thinkers don't like the book and go so far as to find it dangerously influential, isn't that a good thing? But how does that feeling erode over time, especially for those who identify at a core level with the book's subject, characters, or themes? How do they reconcile the fact that a book about THEM is deemed "naughty", "heinous", or "indecent"?
As a secondary teacher, currently studying to become a teacher-librarian, I know the value of representation. All students deserve to see themselves in the world. In my classroom, a big part of that is novels. I have a diverse collection because I have a diverse classroom. I try my best to amplify voices that are so often silenced and marginalized.
Stories don't only exist on paper and those that do are inspired by reality. When a book is banned from a shelf, what happens to those who live the story every day?
Hi Bailey,
I loved your observations, especially those about the impact on the authors of banned materials. Good to hear from a kindred spirit.
Doug