It seems like just yesterday I was ranting and raving about some crap. Oh… wait… that was yesterday. Never mind.
Well, on today’s rave-o-rama calendar is the start of Banned Books Week. Last year, as part of my contribution to Michele’s Banned Books Project, I listed all the books on the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000, along with a plot summary, reasons it was found objectionable, and snarky reasons I’d have it banned.
That last part generated a lot of hate mail from people who tend to jump into a fracas without reading the fine print (I wouldn’t know anything about that, myself). But all-in-all, it was a fun exercise.
So, what to do this year? Well, for starters, Michele’s been too busy to put together her own Banned Books Project, so I’m hosting it as the Third Annual Banned Books Project. Part of that honor is putting together a collection of links, essays, news stories, etc., from reader contributions. So, what I’d like to get from you then, dear reader, is a contribution. Send me your essays and links, and I’ll post ’em. It should have something to do with book challenges, but there are a lot of challenges to intellectual freedom floating about these days, so even a good story on the EFF Blue Ribbon Campaign wouldn’t be out of the question.
For my part, I have had complaints that the original Solonor’s 100 Banned Books is a bit lengthy for a single web page. If you’re on dial-up, forget about loading it in your lifetime. Plus, it’s not easily searchable. So, this year I’ve made a new banned books project blog! I’m going to give each book its own entry, add a picture (assuming I don’t get into copyright trouble), and open it to comments.
So, start sending me your stuff, peeps. And I’ll stop calling you “peeps”.
Mail all submissions to solonor AT solonor DOT com (you know the anti-spam drill by now, I hope).
Time to dig out the button image, huh? I don’t think I can improve on last year’s contribution (well, yeah, it could definitely be improved, but I haven’t yet thought of something to add), but we’ll see.
Good for you. Of course, it’s no cookie swap.
Seeing as I have impeccable taste in literature, I can’t see anyone wanting to ban any book that I’d endorse. (Can you tell that I’ve been drinking? Heavily?)
I’ll see if I can come up with something, being the heathen that I am.
And hey – I didn’t get a cookie! (And in my drunken state, can I say just how much I adore Cookie Monster? He just totally rocks, regardless of the fact that he can’t speak proper English and eats like a slob… But he did teach me that cookies, along with bouncing balls and hoola hoops, are circles! Ok – I need to drink a gallon of water and get a good 12 hours of sleep now…)
That year went by fast…
It’s banned books week!
Take a few moments to use your freedom this week to read one of the hundreds of banned books during Banned Books Week. Might I suggest one of the titles from the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000? For example, the Harry Potter series is…