My English class is going to WFU Library tomorrow to do, as Mrs. Jones would say, "scholarly research". Yeah, we all laughed at that one. Anywho, at the beginning of the semester she gave us a list of books that had previously been banned for various reasons. Some books included..
"Harry Potter Series: The most common reason cited for the banning of these J.K. Rowling books is their use of witchcraft and the fear that fantasy and reality could become confused for children. However, some challenges have arisen over the violence it portrays.
Slaughterhouse Five: Kurt Vonnegut's novel has been challenged and banned because of its profanity, violence, and explicit sexuality.
Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury's book is about censorship and those who ban books for fear of creating too much individualism and independent thought. In late 1998, this book was removed from the required reading list of the West Marion High School in Foxworth, Mississippi. A parent complained of the use of the words "God damn" in the book. Subsequently, the superintendent instructed the the teacher to remove the book from the required reading list."
It makes me sad that two of my favorite (Slaughterhouse and Fahrenheit) are banned. I mean, Slaughterhouse Five really is "explicit", but it's just so good. Kurt Vonnegut is brilliant. I don't know if he was mad about his book being banned. He probably knew it would be anyway. I don't think that F.451 should have been banned at all, though. It is a very psychoanalitic story, but it teaches the lesson that books are important. Bradbury is definitely one of my heroes. But you know, here in America, we completely shun the moral of an entire story because of the phrase "god damn". Really?
Mrs. Jones assigned us to pick a book off of the banned book list, and I chose the Bell Jar. One, because I've already read it (shhhh...) and two, it's dark and wonderful. I did read it a lot slower this time. I mean, I paid a lot more attention. I have a tendency to get in too much of a hurry when I read a good book. We are going to WFU tomorrow to research the circumstances around our book's banning. Some people chose really horrible ones. Like, Gulliver's Travels and Lady Chatterly's Lover. I've never liked really intricate, old-style books. I'm a pretty cut and dry reader. And writer!
But anyway, I love Tuesdays because I get to go to the Dispatch, which I actually really enjoy doing now. I used to not like it as much, because there wasn't much for me to do the first few meetings, but now they have me editing and working on Quark (hopefully, if the IT guy got everything worked out!) Today I get to place my first editorial and photo on my new layout. I'm looking forward to 3:30. Plus, it always smells like newsprint and coffee in there. And Michelle smells like a caramel latte. Yeeeaaahhh am I weird or what!?!
It was pathetic how slow we were at work last night. Taylor and I goof around a lot more than we probably should. We were talking about Chris Crocker's "I'll Look at You Like You're Stupid", and I decided to act like that to whatever Todd said. So if he'd ask me a question, I shook my head back and forth a little too dramatically. Really, you would have had to be there. Sometimes, I actually like working. Randy told me the other day to "keep up the good work", I couldn't believe that.
I've got more business letters to write! YAY.
"Psychology tells me.. your body language indicates to me that you wanna be just like me. I invented a phrase today, and it's I'll look at you like you're stupid."
141 days until daddy is home.
