Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the month “October, 2012”

29 Oct 2012
1 Comment

A Novel Approach to Amish Fiction


Birth of Mennonite movement

Birth of Mennonite movement (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At one time I had a fascination with the Amish, having both a curiosity and a respect for their way of life.  I read both fiction and non-fiction on them, and even though my interest is not as keen, it’s still there. There has come a certain realization I am not alone with this interest as I am noticing a plethora of Amish fiction titles  appearing  in bookstores, and as choices for my review selections.  Why the sudden interest in the Amish?  Probably, like me, there is a fascination, a curiosity, and it’s hoped, a respect for their gentle way of life.

Most of these Amish titles are of the romance variety and I quickly pass on them; however, I recently came across an author whom I had been searching for, W. Dale Cramer, while trying to locate a previous read title, and found Cramer’s, Levi’s Will. Having been impressed with his previous title, Summer of Light, I grabbed this newly discovered title  and checked it out for my weekend read.

Summer of Light by Author Dale Cramer

image: www.dalecramer.com

The cover said it had been selected by Publisher’s Weekly as one of the Best Books of 2004, and that intrigued me even more beyond the inside cover which indicated the plot revolved around a son seeking his father’s forgiveness, a shunned son of an Amish farmer.  I decided to revisit my interest in the Amish.

One of the more interesting aspects of this novel is Cramer’s profound inside knowledge of the Amish. The details didn’t smack of Internet researching. The mannerisms, the everyday expectations, even the conversations bespoke of intimate knowledge that comes from living the life.  The acknowledgements indicate the events are loosely based on family events, which of course prompted me to go to Cramer’s site and investigate. It turns out his father was raised Old Order Amish, and his mother was raised as a daughter of a Georgia sharecropper.  There definitely is a story with that family history. The story revolves around Will, who runs away from responsibilities foisted on him that he is not ready to take on.  As the story progresses he attempts to find a compromise between his Amish upbringing and the modern world.  Although he could have fallen on declaring himself a conscientious objector in order to avoid WWII, he philosophically explains his reasoning for joining up with the Army to his younger brother: 

“How is it right to seek out the protection of men with guns and yet refuse to take part in that protection? Is there not a debt?  Is it not hypocrisy?”

The rest of the plot addresses Will’s struggle to live among the “English” as he valiantly struggles to receive the forgiveness of his father.

I found the plot intriguing, well-written, and timeless.  The story of the prodigal son dates back to biblical times, which makes this story all the more relevant: there is an innate need for the love and favor of our parents, particularly the blessing of our father for our chosen life decisions.

The novel opens up with a poem by William Carlos Williams:

What power has love but forgiveness?
In other words
by its intervention
what has been done
can be undone.
What good is it otherwise?

The theme of forgiveness mixed in with the cultural journeying of Will Mullet made this a read that ended too soon.  This was an unusual Amish read, and for those who are looking beyond the “bonneted” Amish love stories, I suggest picking this one up.  It’s also a suggested read for those who are seeking to bridge the gap in a parental or family relationship.

Then again, pick up the book since W. Dale Cramer is a writer who spins a great story.Levi's Will

Related articles
Posted in America, Books, Family, Reading, reviews and tagged , ,
27 Oct 2012

Battleship and Black and Blue Reviews


Sometimes after a long week of teaching direct objects, nuances of symbolism, and grading ceaseless stacks of papers I need to unwind.  Discovering chocolate is a downfall to dieting, and being a longtime teetotaler,  I have succumbed to the ACTION movie for unwinding on Friday night.  We have a local grocery store that offers new releases for only a buck on the weekends.  Who can resist?

I am prone to choosing action movies with disasters or aliens, and I can’t resist the Navy.  So it was natural I selected Battleship. Expecting major cheese for ninety minutes I found myself rooting and hooting for the entire movie.  Being a movie trivia addict, I Googled up IMDb.  Glancing through the reviews I couldn’t help but wince at the meanness of many of the comments.

This brings me to the subject of Black and Blue Reviews.

These are reviews that involve slicing and dicing of the given subject, be it a book, a movie, restaurant or product.  Having been a reviewer for various journals over the past twelve years I have developed a philosophy: it is much easier to depreciate than it is to create.  We all know how much easier it is to diss and dismiss than it is to praise and raise. And being a published writer I tend to stem the critical ink flow when it comes to someone else’s creative effort because I know the stings of criticism do sting. As Thumper once said, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Or least compromise and try to say two things for every bad.

Back to Battleship. Of course it wasn’t going for Academy Award status; it’s intent is action and it delivered.  How could you not like a movie that:

  • features Liam Neeson as a Navy admiral?
  • is filmed in Hawaii?
  • has aliens who wear helmet sunglasses and sport wicked porcupine goatees?
  • debuts Rihanna as a  sailor who holds her own with the big boys?
  • stars Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgård?
  • also has Japanese legendary actor Tadanobu Asano?
  • laughs at itself with borrowed kitsch from Jurassic Park and Transformers?

Instead I found most reviews were negative.  Here’s some samplings:

Of course, in the old B-movie tradition, our response to the alien visit is immediately military. There’s not one word of discussion about the aliens possibly just making a social call. We invite them, they come and we open fire. This despite the fact that they’re remarkably humanoid; when we finally remove the helmet from one alien’s spacesuit, he turns out to look alarmingly like James Carville. Roger Ebert, Chicago-Sun Times

Alien invasion movies usually work based on three things: strong characters, cool aliens and a good idea. “Battleship” has boring characters, boring aliens and a couple of minor ideas stupid enough to elicit a temporary smile. Jeffrey Anderson, San Francisco Examiner

Those represent the pro-view.  Here are a couple of IMDb user review comments:

A simple way to describe Battleship, is that it’s basically a $200 million naval recruitment video that was made by a schizophrenic 8 year old who likes video games and things going Ka-Boom.

Turning a board game into a big-budget summer blockbuster was always going to be a stretch. But Hasbro the company behind the cinematic juggernaut Transformers series thought they had locked on to a winning formula for their adaptation of their best-selling board-game Battleship…namely ditch Michael Bay for the supremely talented Peter Berg, add aliens and throw shed-loads of money at the screen. And it almost works…

Ouch. What were this people expecting from a summer movie?  Hamlet on Mars? Sheesh…

These people totally missed how the film did something totally remarkable by:

  • having Japanese and American military forces  collaborate at Pearl Harbor, no less
  • featuring real life vets of the USS Missouri, some who had even served in WWII
  • showcasing real life active duty Army Colonel Gregory Gadson., who is the first bilateral amputee to serve as a Garrison Commander to any post in the United States Army. This man is a war hero.
  • honoring the military, particularly those from our past.

Sadly, I didn’t see anyone impressed with these positive attributes.  They were too busy complaining about how a movie could be made based off of a toy.  Oh yeah, it’s much better to make movies inspired off of a Disney ride.  Then it’ll be taken more seriously.

Don’t let the black and blue review sink your enjoyment of Battleship.  Besides, the chicken burrito scene is worth the watching all in itself.

image: guardian.co.uk

Posted in Americans, Movies, reviews, technology, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
24 Oct 2012
5 Comments

Just Another Gothic Girl


English: Gothic girl.

English: Gothic girl. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT THE GOTHIC TO WHICH I REFER

I have admittedly strayed from my AP book list and I am in the midst of coasting in my reading tastes: the gothic romance novel. oh yeah.

I’m not talking your acceptable-found-on-the-list novel like Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre. Nope, I’m talking about the forgotten books by a forgotten author that needs rediscovering.  Maybe I will start a resurgence of Dorothy Eden readers. You  never know.

Intrigued by what constitutes a gothic romance novel I Googled to find a most excellent site called Virtual Salt, which is written by Robert Harris, former professor and general busy guy.  He’s got an exciting menu of topic choices on his website and it is a recommended stop by.  I chose “Element of the Gothic Novel” and will definitely be borrowing from and referring to his article once I get to Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre in AP Lit.

Currently I’m cheat reading and have discovered amidst the buried “E”s when I was last shelf shopping,  Dorothy Eden, who had once upon a time a long writing career spanning from the 1940s into the 1980, being known primarily for writing these smashing gothic romances with heroines exhibiting contemporary tendencies.  I’m deep into my second one and these are exactly what I need,  having come off of a grading campaign of freshmen poetry notebooks.

Here is Gothic Romance Elements 101 in a Nutshell.  For in-depth article investigation I encourage you to investigate Robert Harris’s site.

A Gothic Romance needs to have the following:
1.  a castle
2. inexplicable events
3. suspense
4. a damsel in distress
5. overwrought emotions
6. metonymy of gloom and horror *

*refresher for metonymy: it’s a type of metaphor.  For instance, in movies to get some immediate gloom and horror tone going the script will throw in some approaching footsteps and of course you gotta have the sudden torrential downpoour complete with thunder and lightning.

Here’s what Dorothy Eden fare I’ve dined upon so far–the title alone, let alone the cover art, indicate a GR is within the grasp.

The Shadow WifeI couldn’t improve on Amazon:

There was something about the tall, dynamic Dane that disturbed Luise Amberley. But he was so attentive, so charming, that she silenced the small warning voice within her and yielded to his passionate persuasions. The wedding ceremony was hasty, almost furtive, but Luise was too wildly infatuated to care. Even his insistence that their marriage be kept a secret did not seem unreasonable. Otto Winther was, after all, a Count…a man whose ancestors were royalty in Denmark. Not until they left the small seaside resort where they had met and arrived at Maaneborg Castle did Luise become aware that something was wrong. It was not merely the coolmess of the welcome. There was an atmosphere of desperation and danger. They were hiding something. And Luise was determined to find out their secret, no matter what the risk. She did not want to remain a SHADOW WIFE.
It’s actually much better than the description. Considering the publishing date was 1967 I found myself surprised that the following being mentioned: a)computers b)open love affairs within a marriage c)abortion.  Plus Luise is no fainting Melba.  She does not easily whimper off or get locked up in a dungeon.  She reminds me a lot of Jane Eyre, one of my all time fave heroines.
I’m in the middle of Winterwood and once again I will let Amazon do the honors.
 WinterwoodSee the castle?  See the damsel in distress?  Gloom and suspense?  And you know that inexplicable event is about to happen.
Enough of the blogging.  I must return to my saga of the socialite forced by circumstance to become governess to the wealthy family consisting of handsome husband, aloof wife with a myriad of light illnesses, and two spoiled children.  I did mention the dying, extremely rich aunt, did I not?
Related articles
Posted in Books, Reading, reviews, Writing and tagged , , , , ,
23 Oct 2012
9 Comments

A Wee Bit of Housekeeping


WordPress

WordPress (Photo credit: Adriano Gasparri)

Blogging is tough to keep up with when the paperload of grading bogs my time down.  I’ve managed to swim up from an arduous week of poetry notebooks and grammar packets and hope to dust off the edges of my postie.

First of all, as summer plunges into the recesses of seasonal change, as darkness and rainy days force former sunny afternoons of backyard bliss to fade away into autumnal dreariness, I can’t  help but reflect how quickly time passes.  One day I’m relaxing out in the backyard with book in hand after a long day of prepping freshmen of the harsh realities of high schoolness and the next moment I’m hunkering over my laptop planning second semester lesson forays into To Kill a Mockingbird and The Odyssey.

This is when I am glad to retreat into blogdom.

I have scant energy to work on my manuscripts once school starts again.  I don’t even have energy to skim through my writing magazines, let alone attend my critique group.  Teacherness garners every grain of my attention.  Then again, what else would I want to do for a career.? Oh, yeah, be a world-famous recluse writer.  Aah, there’s time for that when I do actually retire.

For now, blogging is my version of knitting as a means of unwinding and filling my hands with busyness and allowing my brain to channel some sort of creativity.  I may not churn out scarves and mittens, but I do enjoy tweaking out a post or two.

This is why I so appreciate getting a bit of recognition now and then.  Those fun reader awards count for hurrah applause (“yes! someone is reading my stuff! yay!!) This time I have Samirto thank for nominating me for the One Lovely Blog Award.  I appreciate Samir’s comments and he has great insights on writing (and life) at his own blog.  Be sure to check out his blog if you haven’t already.  Now, as to the award regs:

1.  Thanks, Samir, for the lovely blog nom

2. Seven things about me…

  • Not a banana fan unless they are in my smoothie or come in chips
  • Prefer doing sports rather than watching them
  • I detest crinkly sounds, especially at the movies
  • Would love to live in a Bradburian neighborhood with a front porch and visit with neighbors who pop up for conversation and lemonade as we ease back in our porch swings
  • I used to adore cats, but not so much anymore (I owned seven at one time)
  • Wonder if I will ever be able to play the piano–I have the piano, just no musical ability
  • Can’t drink carbonated beverages without getting explosive, bodacious hiccups (very embarrassing)

3. Fifteen blogs I think are Lovely

ahem, well…I think a lot of blogs are lovely and so not too offend anyone I do follow, have followed, and intend on following more closely, here are a handful of new-to-me blogs.  I especially like how random these bloggers think, react, and respond to the world around them.  They are sound bites of this big blue marble we call home:

And just in case you are interested, as I was dusting and futzing about the blog I discovered a few stats lying about.  Not knowing what else to do with them I thought I would air them out.  Stats do like a turn  about now and then.

Since February when I began Musing via WordPress:

  • 103 posts
  • 595 comments
  • 5, 665 hits
  • 109 followers
  • Akimet is protecting me against 888 spam comments–this one fascinates me. How do they know what constitutes a threat versus a sincere inquiry? What if it is a legimate blogadite tapping at my door?
  • March 17 was my busiest day when I had 86 hits.  I wrote about browsing through other people’s bookcases.  Weird how some topics light a fire, huh?

Anyway, I’m worn out from dusting and futzing.  I need to get back to slumming and read my gothic romance.  The heroine is just about to become the governess to the spoiled daughter of the married man who has wretched, but attractive wife.  It should be a fast read.  Tomorrow we continue with Cyrano de Bergerac in AP English.

Happy Pages,
CricketMuse

Cyrano

Cyrano (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Posted in Awards, Blogging, creativity, Reading, Writing and tagged , ,
19 Oct 2012
13 Comments

iphone, uphone, we all phone


English: New Mobile Cell Phone Technology

English: New Mobile Cell Phone Technology (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Feeling like a dinosaur with a jet pack, I have succumbed to family proddings and have joined the iphoniacs. If you can imagine a dinosaur zooming about, then it’s possible to see me, a relic of telecommunications, thumb flipping through countless apps and haphazardly navigating the gateways of iphonese.

I grew up with the ubiquitous black desk phone that only went as far as the cord was long.  I also remember party lines, when heavy breathing only meant your neighbor was listening in on your conversation.  Phone prefixes started out as JU or some other distinctive alpha combo.  Ma Bell ruled the telephone lines.

Then telecommunications became liberated with decommissioning and phones came in colors, styles, and eventually didn’t even possess cords.  Zipping past cordless phones to cell phones,  lands me to about ten years ago with kids learning to drive and living far away on their own.  Staying connected took on relative importance. Caving into signing up with a cell phone carrier took place in a mall kiosk.  How did we ever survive without being available 24/7?

A self-proclaimed gregarious hermit, I am striving to the adjustment of being only a moment away from anyone who desires to reach out and talk to me. I grimace when faced with  “I tried calling you–didn’t you have your phone with you?”  Well, actually no. I didn’t use to haul the phone around while mowing the lawn, or washing the car, or even going shopping.  Now it’s a requirement.

Marlene had it right–I vant to be alone. Alone sometimes involves being alone with my thoughts. The problem is the i in iphone also includes u.

As much of a convenience cellulars have become, I have a real problem with  how society has gone disgracefully downhill in public decorum when it comes to phones.  A recent speaker at our school put it this way, “We have evolved so quickly with technology we haven’t developed proper etiquette.” Pig’s eye.  My momma taught me good public manners and I don’t think they have gone out of style.  I don’t comb my hair in public, nor do I floss in public, and I certainly don’t talk about my latest gynecological report in public.  Yet, I have had to listen to people share all kinds of interesting aspects of their life, simply because the ease of phone technology allows them to talk anywhere and at anytime.  Apparently their phones are smarter than they are.

All this instant, instantaneous communication compunction  is the reason why my choice of reading contain little cellular referencing.  I like books from the days of letters and tea-table conversations versus text bubbles and “can-you-hear-me-now” connections.

Would Jane Austen or Jane Eyre be bemused by the i before u when it comes to talking?  But then again, if everybody is doing it we simply evolve, right?  Then why aren’t there more dinosaurs with jet packs…

Related articles
Posted in America, Blogging, Books, Family, Uncategorized and tagged , , , ,
14 Oct 2012
9 Comments

oh, yes–please read me a story…


Over the past couple of years I’ve been fortunate to journey with some of the more elite and talented thespians of this age.  The likes of Jeremy Irons, Cherry Jones, Jessica Tandy, and Sissy Spacek have kept me company on my long travels and daily commute.  They have challenged me, enlightened me, and entertained me.  And I showed my appreciation by never interrupting them as they spoke.

“Read me a story.” These words are among the first requests we have as a child once we figure out language.  Somewhere between infancy and childhood the request to be read to drops to the wayside–maybe it’s seen as being rather babyish, since, after all we have learned to read books on our own. Yet, I never tire of having a book read to me.  I especially have learned that while I need to read, I’m not very good at juggling the reading of more than one book unless one of them is an audio book.  I am hooked on audio books.

Audiobook Collection

Audiobook Collection (Photo credit: C.O.D. Library)

I’ve been listening to audio books since they became available on cassettes all those years ago.  Sometimes the dratted tapes would fuss up and I’d lose part of the story. Aggravating. Then came CDs, (much better thank you–although occasional scratching causes blips and hiccups–so annoying).  Now there are websites, Ipods, and Playaways, where all that is needed are a set of headphones.

There is nothing like having a good story read out loud on a long, solitary car trip.  As I prepare for my trip I gleefully check out several audio books from my lovely neighborhood library and perch them on my passenger seat as my companions.  Most books play any from seven to fourteen hours. Great for those long hauls.  I’ve been known to stay in my car to listen to the last of the story even after arriving at my destination.

The downside to audio books is due to their very nature of interactive reading–once started as an audio book, it’s difficult to finish it by traditional eye-to-page.  I made that mistake with The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Coming home I was about halfway through listening to the book and decided to finish reading it via my checked out library book. What better way to spend the remaining sunny summer afternoon?  However, as emotionally involved as I got with the story, due to the excellent voice of Cherry Jones, I couldn’t sufficiently feel the proper grief when * SPOILER ALERT* I read of Singer’s demise. It didn’t register at all.

Lately, I’ve taken to listening to audio books on my short commute to work.  It helps get more reading done, since I get tired of listening to music.  Except I have run into a bothersome problem. My last audio book still resonates with me and I am having a difficult time moving on to checking out my next selection.  How can I possibly find a better reading than what Jeremy Irons did in The Alchemist?  I may have to go back to listening to music for a while. I even tried to recapture the glorious reading by checking out both library copies which are wonderfully  illustrated.  Nope,  wasn’t the same thing as listening to Jeremy’s sonorous tones.  I may even be spoiled for the movie they keep saying will eventually be made.

What is your favorite audio book?  Is it just me, or is there really something about having someone read you a story?

Related articles
Posted in Blogging, Libraries, Literature, Reading, reviews, technology, Uncategorized and tagged , , ,
08 Oct 2012
14 Comments

Has Dewey Metis Match?


SLJ1210w FT Dewey Are Dewey’s Days Numbered?: Libraries Nationwide Are Ditching the Old Classification System

image credit: School Library Journal

Recently I received a shock: the Dewey Decimal system might be at death’s door.  Yes, sit down.  I can see the news has hit you just as hard.  My first thought is, “What’s next? Abandoning order in the grocery store? Arranging by content or by color?” Metis is menacing the time-honored and respected DDC system. Then I thought I should be more  opened-minded. Maybe there is a sound reason why Dewey might possibly be ringing the death knell chimes.

After reading the SLJ on-line article my open-mindedness gave way to absolute rejection of the new kid on the block: Metis. The Dewey Decimal Classification system was thoughtfully developed to create order out of chaos.  Before Dewey came along, libraries would willy-nilly shelve their books.  Some methods included alphabetizing, shelf placement, and random subject designation. Then along came Mel.

Melvil Dewey, the designer of DDC, was an amazing guy.  I could write an entire blog post about him, and if you are interested in finding out more about you should link over to this article  to become enlightened to how dedicated he was to libraries.  He even risked his life saving books from a library that was on fire.  That’s my kind of Book Booster.

The SLJ article focused on a real-life library that has changed over to what they call Metis, who was the Greek goddess Athena’s mama. Metis supposedly reigned in the clever department, and the Metis system relies on clever deductive association when searching for a book. The librarians in the Metis library believe the system is much better for kids since it encourages them to associate ideas into reality.  For instance, Johnny the second grader, comes bouncing in and says, “I want to read a mystery story because Dad and I watch Sherlock Holmes and I want to be a detective, too.”  Betsy, our intrepid librarian points to the shiny sign that says, “Scary, ” and says, “That’s where you’ll find it, sweetie.”  Yup, mysteries are scary because they are associated with the unknown, and the unknown is associated with being nervous, and nervous is associated with frightened, and frightened makes leads to thinking of ghosts which are as you know, scary.  This If You Give a Mouse a Cookie logic is not working for me.  A mystery to me is how anyone could think this Metis system is going to fly.  Dewey’s been doing fine all these years.  Why the sudden backlash against shelve and order?

If you aren’t familiar with Dewey, here is a crash course.  It’s divided up into categories and those categories can have subcategories.  It’s quite neat and tidy.  Take a look:

HOW DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION (DDC) WORKS

000 General Works (Miscellaneous)

100 Philosophy

200 Religion

300 Social Sciences

400 Languages

500 Pure Sciences

600 Technology (Practical Arts) including medicine, engineering, business accounting, agriculture, salesmanship, etc.

700 Fine Arts (including architecture, painting, photography, music, amusements, etc.)

800 Literature

900 History, Geography, Biography

What is there not to like about this system?  One reason, declares the article, for the reconsideration is because kids don’t even learn their decimals until fourth grade.  Umm, excuse me.  Dewey’s decimals are filing markers and not mathematical.  This associative logic and deductive reasoning could explain why Metis is so appealing to these particular librarians. And what will these students do when they go to their public library and it’s still the DDC?

I’m thinking as I read the article, “One giant leap backward for mankind.” Dewey put order into the system.  Order is a good thing.  Metis is kind of subjective touchy feely nonsense organization that could create unilateral universal chaos.  One person’s science could be another person’s science fiction.

Now, I ask you, are we dumbing down our society even more by taking away Dewey’s decimals and putting up shiny poster board subject signage?  If you want to read up on Dewey, you can find him in the 921 section of your friendly neighborhood library–any library that speaks Dewey.  Or you could get Metisphysical and look for the sign that spouts “People Who Once Were Alive And Are Now Dead.”

 

English: From left to right: R. R. Bowker, Mrs...

English: From left to right: R. R. Bowker, Mrs. Dewey and Melvil Dewey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Related articles
Posted in Americans, Books, children, education, Literature, Reading, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , ,
06 Oct 2012
2 Comments

Flip Side of Freedom to Read: BB Week #7


image: Flicker

As Banned Book Week closes I am prompted to open up what is either a tempest or a tornado depending upon your cup of tea.  The above reflection captures my dichotomy of thought when it comes to banning, censoring, or challenging intellectual expression.  It all comes down to which hat I am wearing. The following is based on real life examples seen in three different perspectives.

Librarian Hat
Figuratively speaking this hat involves closing mouth and opening brain.  Please don’t come up to my desk and say, “I can’t believe you have The Joy of Sex on the library shelves.  First of all, I didn’t buy the book.  That decision wasn’t mine, and the book occupied the shelves long before I came on staff.  Secondly, the library is funded with public taxpayer money and if enough people requested it then the book is bought.  Thirdly, if the book offends you I suggest you don’t check it out.  And please don’t take our books into the bathroom.  Yes, that’s why we have the security gate before you go into the hallway with the restrooms. We have seen the soggy results of indiscriminate censoring.

Parent Hat
If I wanted my children to learn about the birds and bees I will tell them, on my own terms and in my own way, sans the graphic illustrations.  I can’t believe the library allows a fourteen year old to check out The Joy of Sex.  She isn’t even dating yet!  Why have something available that she isn’t ready to understand?  How did I know she checked it out?  When I moved her backpack into her room I noticed the cover.  Good grief! Was I shocked!  It’s almost pornography!  My tax dollars buys this kind of stuff!

Teacher Hat
“Here is a note from my dad.” I read it and discover I am to assign something else for his daughter to read during the next quarter unit book study.  The book? Lord of the Flies.  Furthermore, she was not to be present in the classroom during the unit.  He found the aspect of children killing children too strong for his daughter. I respected his request, and did so because I believe in his parental right of choice.  I also have to because our school practices an “op-out” policy, which means if a parent is opposed to the text assigned another is given in its place.  It happens.  And it’s okay. It’s inconvenient, but it’s okay.

Informed Citizen Hat
We live in a land where we are allowed the freedom of choice when it comes to expressing our creative endeavors.  We don’t have to worry about the secret and not-so-secret police storming into our households because we have told a joke that mocks the current leader, or because the bible we received as a gift from a visiting missionary is against my country’s religion, or because  I’m watching a movie that offends a segment of the population. As an American I have that protected freedom.  I am thankful.

Now on the flip side, my personal, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual beliefs may not line up with the person next to me.  I know inherently what is best practice for me in terms of reading and viewing, yet I can’t make that decision for you.  Yes, I might express my opinion–I’m entitled to do so, and you might not like it. You see,  I’m conservative in most of my views.  I’m a bit a puritan, I suppose.  But I have a difficult time faulting your right to make an informed choice. I do not want to end up in a society like the one Ray Bradbury created in Fahrenheit 451, where the government didn’t stop the reading of books–people did, for fear of offending one another.

And while I do believe in intellectual choice, with all these hats I wear, my concerns and allegiances to what is best practice gets a bit muddled.

I say it’s professional discretion when it comes to not selecting certain AP books off the suggested read list.  Is this censoring? No. I’ve listened to my students and sensed they were not ready for Brave New World or 1984.  Am I saying they shouldn’t read it?  Not at all.  I’m saying I won’t be teaching it at this time, especially when there are so many other books to choose from.

I say it’s my parental obligation to protect my child from that which might be harmful to my child’s well-being.  Is this censoring?Certainly not. Every family, every parent has the right to choose best for what is best for them and their family.  Society can influence, yet families shape the future. I’m not banning; I’m protecting.

We are all gate-keepers in our own way.  We allow how wide the gate will swing open. Banned Book Week is officially over for another year. Or is it?  We are challenged daily when it comes to making decisions of discernment.  To ban, to censor, to act out of discernment–now, that, dear reader, is quite the question.

Banned Books Week Banner

Banned Books Week Banner (Photo credit: DML East Branch)

Related articles
Posted in America, Reading, Uncategorized and tagged , ,
04 Oct 2012
3 Comments

Continium of Encouragement to Read: BB Week #6


As a librarian at heart and an English teacher for career, with a side of writer squeezed in, I positively adore books. My blog is primarily about books and I keep a running list of unabashed Book Boosters.  Here is a slew of posters, banners, and stickers that encourage reading.  BtW: celebrate Banned Book Week with a good read, or maybe a bad read–it’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it?

Related articles
Posted in Literature, Reading, Uncategorized, Writing and tagged , , ,
01 Oct 2012
2 Comments

BB Week Hits the Big Three-Oh: BB Week #5


ALA Seal

ALA Seal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is something about hitting 30 that makes one sit up and say, “Okay, let’s get serious about this.”  Birthdays, marriages, and events take on that seriously, folks, tone.  And so it is with Banned Books Week.  This year marks its thirtieth and with that triple decade mark here are three commemorative aspects of BB Week.

1.  Did your state participate?  The American Library Association‘s Office for Intellectual Freedom coordinated a “50 State Salute.”  Check out the video and the following details to see how your state participated. For more information:  www.ala.org/bbook

Banned Books Week Video Map: Click on a state to view the BB video

2.  Take a good look at the of the last thirty years to see what books were challenged, banned, or censored and for what reason.

BB Timeline

3.  For the second year in a row readers who know the value of being free to read [I call them Book Boosters (see the masthead link to sign up)] can promote the importance of reading by posting a two-minute video of yourself reading. These videos will be featured on a special  Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out YouTube channel. For details on how to create your reading video, click here.

Banned Books Week: The Need to Read–it’s about choice and having the right to make it

Bookmans, a bookstore in Arizona makes this clear in their BB Week video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb8mBGjsU5A&feature=relmfu

Related articles
Posted in Books, Literature, Reading, Uncategorized and tagged , , , ,

Post Navigation