Book Bans Are Back Baby

Captain's Log, Star Date 100257.3

Photo by Chinh Le Duc on Unsplash

First, because I know you’re all wondering - that is an accurate star date. I converted it here.

Second, and more importantly, if you haven’t heard, book bans are in. At least in the U.S. I haven’t googled all the other, you know, places where books could be banned. Mostly, because I plan to read these books, and aside from some very elementary level conversational German, I only know English.

Now if you, more intelligent bilingual and trilingual subscribers would like to link books that are banned in other countries, then by all means, do so in the comments. I’m very curious about censorship and cultures around the world. So enlighten me.

In case you’re confused, this is the part of my newsletter where I address censorship. We’re not going to stick to this time period, okay? We’ll go there, because I’m excited to see what’s making people so hot and bothered these days, but I’m also interested to see it play out across history. Things that are considered acceptable today most definitely weren’t fifty years ago, and vice versa. (Walt Disney anyone?)

I guess people will want to know where I stand on banning books. Even having to write about this feels ridiculous, but it’s probably good to state this up front: I don’t care for it. Banning books is banning ideas, which is impossible because we all have thinking brains that are wrought with the things. Banning the reading of them doesn’t do shit in my opinion, aside from making said banned thing more popular.

Now, that doesn’t equal, “I agree with everything I read.” It also doesn’t mean that I like what everyone has to say. I don’t even like what I have to say half the time. I’m sure I’ll look back at this newsletter in one and two and five years, and think, “You’re an idiot.” Anyone who has kept a journal over any amount of time, and come upon angsty teenage ramblings and the like should be able to relate to this.

This place is not to critique the ideas of the book. At least not in the political sense. It’s to read them together, and explore censorship in general. Any critiquing will be reserved for the banners of books. They’re the ones with a case to prove.

There’s always something we as a society can agree on censoring. (My personal thoughts about everything on the planet being one of them, yet here I am, writing for all of you). Unless you’re an anarchist? (Anarchists, feel free to chime in here if I’m getting this wrong). I don’t think children should watch pornography, for example. Censorship in this context makes sense to me.

I also wouldn’t want my kids to be able to watch cartel kill videos on repeat. Censor the shit out of it. So I’m definitely in wobbly territory here. Censorship, while negative in most modern connotations, especially when it comes to art, probably has a place. Where we draw those lines depends on our own world views and experiences. Should it happen in a societal context? Some of it.

On the flip side, I can’t put on everyone else what I put on myself or my children. People have their own views, their own lines in the sand. Beyond this paragraph, I will try my best not to give out sociological opinions on what kids or adults consume in media. I’m just going to be reading the ones that the people in power say we shouldn’t.

**I will do my best to stick to this, but I can be pretty opinionated. So if you catch me, I guess this is my full disclosure agreement with you, the reader. I also like other people’s opinions, and I’ve changed my mind often over the years. So please don’t take me too seriously.**

I’m off the soap box. I didn’t ever want to be on one in the first place. Let’s get to the books.

Here’s how this will work to start. I’m going to begin with the list of most banned books in the United States. Some of these are old but it turns out they’re still bothering a fair amount of people today. I’ll read it (you can read it too if you’d like), and write about it. If it sparks more thoughts I may go on a tangent about said topic. We’ll see where it goes.

So…drum roll please.

This week’s winner, for most banned book in the United States iiiiis:

1984 by George Orwell

For those of you who don’t know, here’s a nice Wikipedia summary of 1984.

“Nineteen Eighty-Four (also stylised as 1984) is a dystopian social science fiction novel and cautionary tale written by English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final book completed in his lifetime. Thematically, it centres on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance and repressive regimentation of people and behaviours within society.[2][3] Orwell, a democratic socialist, modelled the totalitarian government in the novel after Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany.[2][3][4] More broadly, the novel examines the role of truth and facts within politics and the ways in which they are manipulated.”

This is already so ironic, isn’t it? Alright, so let’s read it. Read along if you’d like. And for all you book banners out there, don’t worry. I’ll burn it after I’m done ;)