Sunday, September 15, 2013

Opinion — Banned Book Week Gets Appropriate Send-off From Arizona

Banned In Arizona

Texas and Florida seem to be in a run-off for the title of the Dumbest State in the Union. Florida enhanced its reputation a couple of days ago by giving a prisoner a ‘stay of execution‘ so the state’s attorney general could legally skip the event to attend a fundraiser.  And every year, Texas revisionists try to shove Creationism into our nation’s science textbooks while also editing our history books to diminish the impact of slavery and minimize the unjust treatment of Native Americans. Meanwhile Arizona has been making noise, asking for a little attention in field of brazen stupidity.

Last week, as the American library Associations’ Annual Banned Book Week approaches, an Arizona school district banned National Book Award finalist Cristina Garcia’s Dreaming in Cuban. Portions of the highly praised novel were deemed too sexually explicit for juniors in High school. I repeat: Juniors.  Arizona has a history of trying to keep books by Latino authors out of schools and off shelves.

Now is a good time to visit your local, independent bookstore and or library to investigate those books some folks don’t want you to see.

American Library Association’s
Banned Book Week
September 22- 28


1 comment:

Teri-on-the-sandbar said...

I would presume that sales soared once everyone knew it was good and smutty...assuming there are people in AZ who can read...