I'D RATHER BE READING

During my walk, I looked at the sky and saw one small cloud begin to grow

Ideas Floating in the Air:

Catcher in the Rye, Grapes of Wrath, Diary of Anne Frank, 

The Bluest Eye, The Kite Runner, or To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Have you read any of these books? All of these books are often included in high school curriculums and are some of the most challenged and banned books in America.

These books appear on the American Library Association of the previous decade's 100 Most Banned Books. If you think like me that these books ask challenging questions of the reader and are ripe for discussion of ideas, then you have to wonder why these "dangerous" books would be high on that list. In the new documentary about author Judy Blume, one teenager in the 1980s came to a mic during a school forum to say that her parents had the right to censor what she read, but no other parent should be allowed to do so. Sound familiar. We once again live in a heightened time of book banning and even book burning. The Harry Porter series has been burned in several parts of the country.

A minute later, one becomes five

My parents allowed me into the adult book section of the library in fourth grade where I picked out textbook materials about the Native Americans whose lives and history fascinated me. I also chose novels that looked interesting. They censored very few of my chosen books. They surprised me when they removed from my stack An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser, who became a Communist later in life. Their decision wasn't based on how well-written the novel was, instead they succumbed to the fears of Communism that were prevalent at the time. An American Tragedy is still considered one of the great American novels, no matter what political leanings the author had, and a good murder mystery, to this day one of my favorite genres. And, of course, I read the book as soon as I was away from my parents.

Within five minutes the same cloud grew larger in the sky

Honor National Book Week, April 23 to 29, by reading a book, preferably one of the banned books of this year:

The Bluest Eye, Gender Queer, Out of Darkness, or Lawn Boy

If you care about books being banned, and women's equal rights in each state, watch Amazon Prime's new documentary about Judy Blume whose books are often in the top ten of banned books.

An article in the 19th News about the top 13 most banned books in 2022:

https://19thnews.org/2023/04/banned-books-list-2022-american-library-association/?utm_source=The+19th&utm_campaign=8414aa3565-19th-newsletters-daily-0424&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a35c3279be-8414aa3565-368626060

Suggestions of good reads:

Price of Eggs, an essay by Crys Wood, :

https://americansofconscience.com/price-of-eggs-crys-wood/

Check out her blog too: https://thisiscryswood.com

Chandra Lynn has a new book of poetry, Musings from My Younger Self:

https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Younger-Self-Chandra-Tyler-ebook/dp/B0C2NN7ZY6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36KLI03HJ5DT2&keywords=Musings+from+my+younger+self&qid=1682080115&sprefix=musings+from+my+younger+self%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-1

and check out her thoughtful blog:

https://iamchandralynn.com/2023/04/01/reclaiming-april-me-too/