The practice of banning books has a long history and continues to exist despite the efforts of many to eliminate it. Just last year multiple books were challenged for various reasons by people trying to get them off the shelves, including The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. Since the voices that are trying to shut down freedom of speech are showing no signs of backing off, libraries across the United States use the last week of September every year to bring attention to books that have been banned or, at the very least, challenged in the past, to remind us to be wary of such censorship in the future.
Librarians at the Marriott Library celebrate the annual banned book week by holding a banned book reading on library plaza. This year’s event took place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and anyone and everyone was invited to read from threatened books they had brought with them or to read from/check out one of the books offered on either side of the main reading area. Among the books that were read were Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Some poetry made an appearance with Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, along with children’s books In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak, a book banned for the young protagonist’s chronic nudity throughout the illustrated publication, And Tango Makes Three, written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell with illustrations by Henry Cole, banned for its gay protagonist penguin couple, and Heather Has Two Mommies written by Leslea Newman with illustrations by Diana Souza, also banned for its gay protagonist couple. Children’s books, surprisingly enough, are often the targets of banning; last year the U’s Pioneer Theater Company presented a play with a plot revolving around the banning of a children’s book with “Alabama Story,” a play based on actual events in 1959 Montgomery, Alabama, around a book with a white and a black bunny in a romantic relationship, a serious attack on the segregational practices in Alabama at that time.
Many of the librarians who read were careful to remind their audience that college students must be aware of the dangers controversial writers and publishers face so they can ensure that the books they create are allowed to reach the public to make an actual difference in the world. They also provided cotton candy and popcorn to make sure the message would stick.