September 25 marks the beginning of the 2016 Banned Books Week. Since 1982, the Banned Books Coalition has hosted this celebration of books that have been challenged or censored by schools or other organizations in the United States. According to their website, “The Coalition seeks to engage various communities and inspire participation in Banned Books Week through education, advocacy, and the creation of programming about the problem of book censorship.”
Hundreds of libraries, schools and organizations nationwide participate in Banned Books week every year, hosting events such as readings, book giveaways, and lectures. Last year, fellow writer, poet, and man whose writing is sure to be banned one day (not to mention one of the best debate opponents I’ve ever met) and I had a chance to talk to the good folks at the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library here in Indianapolis at the tail-end of the week. They had recently held artist and author Josh Johnson “prisoner” behind a barricade built of banned books.
The theme for this year’s Banned Books Week is “Diversity.” In keeping with this theme, I’d like to offer up a list of suggestions: some of my favorite books and authors that have been banned by their governments, religious organizations or in schools.
1. The Holy Bible
Anyone who knows me or has read some of my previous articles might be surprised that I would choose this book. I don’t take the book as fact, and I certainly disagree that it should have a place in science classrooms, but the fact is that one cannot hope to understand English Language literature or idiom without having some understanding of the stories in one of the many translations of the text. I also don’t support the censorship of any book, regardless of my opinion regarding it.
2. Reinaldo Arenas
One of my favorite authors of all time. A writer in Castro’s Cuba, Arenas’ books were (and still are) banned for their focus on the topics of homosexuality, liberty, and only thinly veiled criticism of the Castro regime and communism in general. His novels, short stories, and poetry range from over-the-top surrealism (Mona, Singing from the Well) to staunchly realistic dichotomized tellings of the revolution (Old Rosa) and scarcely believable creative non-fiction (Before Night Falls). His stories are a celebration of language and the human spirit, and I couldn’t recommend this author more strongly.
3. The Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie
I could recommend just about anything from this author, but The Satanic Verses seems most appropriate for Banned Books Week. Rushdie’s hallucinatory novel about two actors who survive a terrorist attack that results in the explosion of their airplane over the English Channel is viewed as sacrilegious by some members of the Muslim faith. In fact, the work of fiction inspired Ayatollah Khomeini to issue a fatwa, which resulted in several assassination attempts against the British Indian writer.
This is just a short list, but plenty could be added to it. Check out the list of the most commonly banned and challenged books at bannedbooksweek.org, and check out how to get involved with this fantastic and essential program. Banned Books Week runs through October 1st, this year.
