School board keeps controversial Sherman Alexie book on reading list
Whenever a case of censorship, or attempted censorship of literature appears in the news, I try to write a post about it here. Sadly enough, I don’t have to wait long. In the most recent case I read about concerns a school district in my own backyard – the Antioch Community High School made headlines in Publishers Weekly after a group of parents tried to strike a young adult Sherman Alexie title off the required summer reading list for incoming freshman.
Luckily for us, the school board decided that the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
…the parents objected to the book’s “descriptions of masturbation, racist language, graphic depictions of sex, and references to bestiality.”
You can find any of the above in the works of Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and many other authors whose works we say are classics. I do find it interesting, however, that the book in question in this case is a book about a Native American written by a Native American. I have read a lot of Sherman Alexie’s work and I really admire him as a writer, in part because he tells it like it is.
I always wonder what goes on in the minds of parents who want these books banned. I understand they are trying (or think they are trying) to keep their kid’s best interest in mind. But still, telling them you can’t read this book because it contains this kind of subject matter just seems wrong.
Luckily I came across this article Controversial book to stay on reading list from the Chicago Tribune. One of the parents who objected to the Alexie book spoke out:
Jennifer Andersen said she was one of seven parents who attended a District 117 school board meeting Thursday to ask that the book be banned from the curriculum, or at the very least be accompanied with a warning about the content.
As I said before, if you ban this book or put a warning label on it, then you’re going to have to do the same with a lot of the classics – which contain a surprising amount of disturbing material. The only difference between the Alexie book and the classics is just that, the other books are classics. Shakespeare can write about the most hideous acts and make them seem entirely appropriate.
But the article continues:
She said that she is not promoting censorship. While the book has a good storyline, she said, she questioned why the author felt it was necessary to include language that “would not be allowed in school hallways.”
“It saddens me. I understand they think this is a great book about overcoming difficult situations in a child’s life,” she said. “How can we look past the vulgarity?”
You want the book off the reading list because of your own personal views, yet you think you are not promoting censorship? I’ll take your word for it.
Seriously though, if you can’t look past the vulgarity in a piece of literature, then you are only looking at the surface. I think we want to teach are youngins to dig deeper than just a few bad words in the book. My own language I use while talking is usually not peppered with profranity, yet that does not mean I object to it in the books I read. Why? Because I know that sometimes being vulgar serves a deeper purpose.
Anyway, I’ll get off my high horse now. I’m happy common sense prevailed in this case and that these students will have the opportunity to enjoy Sherman Alexie’s work, much like I have. I will admit that I have not read this book in question, but I might just read it now to see what all the fuss is about.
What do you think? Did the school board make the right decision in this case? Leave a comment with your opinion. I look forward to hearing from you.
Related posts
- Texas school suspends teacher over “inappropriate” book
- Canadian Catholic School Board Bans Fantasy Novel
- Wisconsin library board members dismissed for refusal to remove ‘controversial’ titles
- Censorship makes its way to Teen Lit Festival
- The Joy of Reading Before Bed
Read More: Censorship, Reading
