Burn Them Books

     A little internet searching by a friend of mine revealed this little gem; PABBIS or People Against Bad Books In School.  The oganizations goal is to encourage parents to take action against schools teaching dangerous books such as Beloved or The Handmaid’s Tale. Attached to the list are links to reasons why the books have been targeted including anything from  bad language to rape or men depicted negatively. It’s worth mentioning however that the offending quotes are taken out of context and there is no effort to discern between glorified violence/rape/bad language and that which simply seeks to be true to life experiences. 

 My friend also pointed out that the vast majority of books on the list are written by women or minority authors, whether this is specifically a backlash against these groups or a reflection of the types of stories/life experiences which minorites speak to, is left to be debated. Try searching for Hemingway, Poe, Twain, or other contributors to the classic literary canon. Though they have many themes that overlap with books on the no-no list they are conspicuously absent.  

Additionally the site encourages parents to recommend “other books without bad content [which do an] equal or better [job]”.  To paraphrase, if this isn’t too much of a stretch, find a friendly equivalent which speaks more to the experiences of people who do not interact with drugs, sex, violence, bad language, or social adversity. The harrowing tales of seculuded pious nuns comes to mind when I consider all of these requirements. 

What, may I ask, is the point of reading about the life experiences of individuals who can afford not to come in contact with unsavory life experiences? The answer has to be that it reinforces normative images and cultural mythology through their narratives.  They are less threatening because they depict things we feel comfortable hearing and don’t challenge us to identify ourselves as part of a realistic and damaged narrative.  I believe that books which present issues such a drug abuse, sex, etc. in the context of a productive narrative can produce healthy and enlightened perspectives on such topics and that silence on these issues is in fact detrimental to progress.