By Lauren Achée /// Arts Editor
This week commemorates Banned Books Week, a weeklong annual celebration of the freedom to read. With a special highlight on the importance of free and open access to literature and information, Banned Books Week seeks to bring attention to the history of censorship in America and around the world. Since the advent of Banned Books Week in 1982, the American Library Association reports that more than 11,300 books have been challenged, with 307 titles challenged in 2013 alone. In 2013, Oregon was one of the top three states in book challenges, with over 10 books challenged in 2013. In celebration of this week, here is a selection of my favorite banned books:
MADAM BOVARY by Gustave Flaubert: Banned in France after publication for obscenity and Flaubert was put in prison for “offenses against public morals.”
IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote: banned from an AP English class in Savannah, Georgia, in 1966 for scenes of sex and profanity.
THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston: banned from an advanced English class in 1937 in a Virginia high school.
THE GIVER by Lois Lowry: banned in the US for occult themes and references to euthanasia.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carrol: Banned in China in 1931 because talking animals were seen as an insult to humans.
A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeline L’Engle: banned in the 90s in the US for challenging religious beliefs.
Want more information about Banned Books Week? Visit bannedbooksweek.com
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