Both the right, left have tried to ban books
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BY L. KENT WOLGAMOTT / Lincoln Journal Star
Banned Book Week was celebrated in Nebraska earlier this month.
Why would anyone celebrate the banning of books? The truth of the matter: No one did.
The celebration occurred because for six years there have been no efforts to ban or censor books in Nebraska.
1. “Ulysses” by James Joyce
Published in 1918, “Ulysses” was banned on sexual grounds. In 1922, 500 copies of the book were burned by the United States Department of the Post Office.
2. “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain
Published in 1884, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has been banned on social grounds. Concord Public Library called the book "trash suitable only for the slums" when it first banned the novel in 1885. The references and treatment of African Americans in the novel reflect the time about which it was written, but some critics have considered such language inappropriate for study and reading in schools and libraries.
3. “Madame Bovary” by Gustave Flaubert
Published in 1857, “Madame Bovary” was banned on sexual grounds because it contains adultery and other controversial acts.
4. “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Published in 1850, this book was censored on sexual grounds. The book has been challenged under claims that it is "pornographic and obscene."
5. “Uncle Tom's Cabin,” by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Published in 1852, the novel has been been banned for language concerns.
6. “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck
Published in 1937, it has been frequently banned on social grounds.
7. “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley
Language and morality issues put this book, published in 1932, on the list.
8. “Lady Chatterley's Lover,” D.H. Lawrence
Published in 1928, it has been banned for its sexually explicit nature.
9. “Moll Flanders” by Daniel Defoe
One of the earliest novels banned, the book dramatically depicts the life and misadventures of a young girl who becomes a prostitute. The book has been challenged on sexual grounds.
10. “Candide” by Voltaire
Published in 1759, this book was banned by the Catholic Church
“That makes it less of one of those grim holidays of gloom and foreboding,” said Amy Miller, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union Nebraska. “It’s more a celebration.”
ACLU Nebraska and the Nebraska Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee track attempts to censor books across the state.
They have had no reports in recent years.
“It could be there are instances of censorship people aren’t reporting,” Miller said. “But it’s also possible that Nebraskans are treating book censorship the way it should be treated. If they don’t want their child to read a book, they keep it away from them. But the books remain available for others.”
There is a long history of efforts to ban books in the U.S. But, Miller said, there is no way to predict what books will come under scrutiny or who will object to the book coming to a public library shelf.
“The urge to ban books doesn’t come from one end of the political spectrum or one group,” Miller said. “The groups usually associated with censorship — conservative, religious — are why there were attempts to censor the Harry Potter books, because the witchcraft and magic conflicted with Christianity. But ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ is on the list because the left is concerned about the use of the ‘n’ word and the depiction of the slave Jim.”
Courts have consistently found, however, that if a book has literary or artistic merit, it should remain on library shelves, Miller said.
Compromises are often reached with controversial books. Several years ago, Miller said, Omaha’s W. Dale Clark Library agreed after a public protest to place Madonna’s “Sex” book, which contained nude/sexual pictures, behind its counters.
That wouldn’t happen in Lincoln.
“Our collections are open,” said Pat Leach of the Lincoln City Libraries. “We don’t have a behind-the-counter collection. All our books are on the shelf and available.”
If someone has concerns about a book, the Lincoln libraries have a review process that involves the library staff, the library director and library board. Leach said the libraries receive a few complaints a year but have not pulled any books from circulation.
Of late, Leach said, she has heard most concerns raised about graphic novels, which are popular with teens, and often younger children will check out books that are meant for older kids, creating some consternation for parents.
To alleviate the latter problem, Leach encourages parents to take a look at the books their children are checking out. “It’s better for us if parents are involved in their children’s visit to the library. We really encourage that.”
Some libraries across the country also have experienced what is being called “guerrilla censorship” — that is, those who don’t want a book on the shelves will go in, check it out and never return it or will check out the book and deface it so it cannot be read by others.
“I’m not aware that has happened here,” Leach said. “There are certain areas of the collection that tend to have higher theft. But I don’t think it’s a result of that kind of guerrilla action.”
Banned Book Week was created in 1982 by the American Library Association and has been observed each year since then.
The subject of banned books was thrown into a much brighter spotlight than usual this year when it was alleged that GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin attempted to ban books while she was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.
Details of what Palin might or might not have done are murky.
According to the New York Times, two sources state that in 1995, while a member of the Wasilla City Council, Palin objected to the book “Daddy’s Roommate” being in the town library. After she became mayor in 1996, she spoke with the town librarian about removing books from the shelves and the librarian objected to any kind of censorship. Palin later tried to fire the librarian.
Apparently, Palin made no efforts to ban books while she was mayor — contradicting a widely circulated e-mail and a number of blogs.
The two books that have been mentioned most often related to a possible Palin censorship effort — “Daddy’s Roommate” and “Go Ask Alice” — are common targets for those who want to ban books. Both rank in the top 25, Miller said.
“These are books that a lot of people find upsetting,” Miller said. “‘Daddy’s Roommate’ sends a message that a gay family is a real family. ‘Go Ask Alice’ contains graphic scenes of her suicide attempt, drug use and sexual activity that comes from that drug use. But if you’re a parent who wants to scare your kids straight, that book is going to do it.”
Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com.
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