....and I'm honored to say that I'm part of the American Library Association's packet as a result of the attempt last year to ban HOW TO GET SUSPENDED AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE in Idaho.
Download the pdf here
Here's a video of the news story that was aired at the time - it does everything but call me a smut peddlar! There'll be a new interview or two on this subject posted soon.
Showing posts with label censorship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label censorship. Show all posts
Back in the Idaho Press
Some of you might remember that a few months back, someone tried to get one of my books banned from a library in Idaho - and it was a slow enough news week in Boise that it made every news outlet out there. Well, I'm back in the Idaho press, but this time they just want to say Zombie Satire a Great Read!
Bigger, Longer story on the banning attempt
Idaho Mom Protests Book
This article (complete with entertaining comments at the end!) goes into great detail. The story the woman tells is that her four year old picked out "How To Get Suspended and Influence People." She checked it out, took it home, and then realized it was "appalling," "disgusting," and quite a variety of unpleasant things. Now, if it was, in fact, grouped with the other books for four year olds, she might have had cause to politely request that the library move it to the nearby teen shelf (which is where most libraries keep it). But she went a bit further - she wants the book removed from the library altogether, and has complained to the mayor and city council.
Now, I don't believe her whole story about the four year old one bit - I'm SURE she went looking around for a kids book that seemed appropriately "appalling" to spearhead a broader push against the library with the eventual goal of removing all the books she finds "inappropriate." There are plenty of books with more swearing and more explicit references to sex out there, not to mention all the violent stuff.
But if I have to be the target for a group of jerks who want to push librarians and communities around, I'm happy to do it!
Already wrote up most my thoughts On Censorship some time ago.
This article (complete with entertaining comments at the end!) goes into great detail. The story the woman tells is that her four year old picked out "How To Get Suspended and Influence People." She checked it out, took it home, and then realized it was "appalling," "disgusting," and quite a variety of unpleasant things. Now, if it was, in fact, grouped with the other books for four year olds, she might have had cause to politely request that the library move it to the nearby teen shelf (which is where most libraries keep it). But she went a bit further - she wants the book removed from the library altogether, and has complained to the mayor and city council.
Now, I don't believe her whole story about the four year old one bit - I'm SURE she went looking around for a kids book that seemed appropriately "appalling" to spearhead a broader push against the library with the eventual goal of removing all the books she finds "inappropriate." There are plenty of books with more swearing and more explicit references to sex out there, not to mention all the violent stuff.
But if I have to be the target for a group of jerks who want to push librarians and communities around, I'm happy to do it!
Already wrote up most my thoughts On Censorship some time ago.
News Segment on the Banning
I'm amused by this. Partly because, hey, it must have been one slow news week in Boise, and partly because the news people really seem to take the woman's side.
Click here and hit the video icon
Or here's a lo-fi version:
Click here and hit the video icon
Or here's a lo-fi version:
They're Trying to Ban Me!
Idaho Woman Protests How To Get Suspended and Influence People
The AP is spreading this around.
Now, my question is, since a 4 year old picked it up, did they have it mixed in with the picture books? Is this a library that has a separate teen section, but mixes the middle grade books in with the picture books? If it was on a shelf made to house the pre-K books, than it was in the wrong place, obviously. In any case, kudos to the librarian for sticking up for me!
The AP is spreading this around.
Now, my question is, since a 4 year old picked it up, did they have it mixed in with the picture books? Is this a library that has a separate teen section, but mixes the middle grade books in with the picture books? If it was on a shelf made to house the pre-K books, than it was in the wrong place, obviously. In any case, kudos to the librarian for sticking up for me!
More on the Banning Attempt
Many links on the attempt to ban How To Get Suspended and Influence People, one of which includes video, and most of which have several comments. I'm fairly pleased by the tone of the comments so far - even the people I strongly disagree with seem fairly articulate. There hasn't been much of the poorly-spelled hate speech that you see so often on anonymous comment forms (like the fake one here), though there HAVE been a few "nazi" remarks - those come up in most online discussions, and they're almost always out of bounds (there's a whole section on this in The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History.
Anyway, follow the hoopla at these links:
CBS 2 (youtube)
Idaho Press
The Stranger (very supportive comments, but some NSFW language)
Idaho Statesman
Fox 12
Bookshelves of Doom
In other news, I'll be talking about ghosts and history on a major national radio show next week. Stay tuned!
Anyway, follow the hoopla at these links:
CBS 2 (youtube)
Idaho Press
The Stranger (very supportive comments, but some NSFW language)
Idaho Statesman
Fox 12
Bookshelves of Doom
In other news, I'll be talking about ghosts and history on a major national radio show next week. Stay tuned!
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Adam's New Book: Sept 2013
