Banned Book Week

This is banned books week. That's right Banned. Books. Week.  Isn't it great? A whole week dedicated to reading books that have been banned or challenged in schools around the country. The truth is that most books that are banned or challenged aren't horrible books. In fact, a lot of them are great, thought-provoking books, and that is why people are trying to get teenagers to read them.  Sadly, most people who fight these books have never read them, and probably never will. 

Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if they have been banned we shouldn't read them. Surely they've been banned for a reason! How can we promote the reading of immoral books?" Why don't you stop for a minute and take a look at some of the books that have been challenged or banned from schools and then tell me how immoral they all are?  This is the NCTE's list of books from the last seven years. There are some great books, with great messages being challenged, and kids are missing out. People complain about a little violence or sexuality in a book but it's nothing compared to what kids are seeing on TV, in video games, and online. And, the books--the good ones at least--carry a deeper message that can promote critical thinking and help teens stop and take a look at what is really going on.  Can we say the same about what they're watching on TV? I'll take The Giver or Of Mice and Men over South Park any day. 

I believe that it takes a lot to make a book immoral.  Reading is a privilege and a way to learn about the world around you. If you want to protect your children from the bad things in the world, teach them to think critically about what they read and to learn how to recognize when violence or sex is used to teach a moral lesson or if it is just there to titillate.  My favorite response to complaints about books is one I learned from my AP English teacher who said "The Bible is the worst out there in terms of sexuality and violence, but they read that because it teaches them a lesson. Well, so can these books."

Do parents have a right to keep their kids from reading books they find objectionable? Sure, and they should, but let them read it before they decide. Do parents or committees have the right to ban books for a community or a school? I'd say that 99% of the time they shouldn't. It's a right we have and it should be a personal decision what we will and will not read. 

So, look at the list, find a book you're interested in, and read it to support good books that have been banned in ignorance and intolerance.

Here is the list again

The irony of being an English major

I miss summer vacation already. It's not that I don't enjoy being in class or the university scene that I come back to every fall. The reason is that I miss reading.  Does this happen to you? Do you ever feel that, with so much to read in school that you never get any reading done? This is something I've been feeling for the last couple of years.  Of course, we actually have a truckload of reading, but even though I enjoy a lot of it, it isn't the same as sitting down with a book or magazine or newspaper and just reading for the simple pleasure of a story. That is what I miss.

Every summer I knock a few books off of my "to-read" list.  I get busy with summertime activities too, but I'm always more than willing to devote some time to my books as well.  Now that I'm back in school, I find it very hard to find time for personal reading.  I've got 60 or 70 pages left in The Road and a handful of half-read books that will probably sit until Christmas break simply because I usually spend my free time doing homework or with my daughter.  The problem is that during  these next few months I will add several books to my list, falling further behind. In fact, today I added a new one: My Name is Asher Lev, a story about a boy who has to deal with the conflicts of his passion for creating art and his strict, traditional religion. I just don't know when I'll get to it.

You may think it sounds funny--an English major who feels like he never reads--but I bet that most English majors you talk to will tell you the same thing.  It's the irony of being an English major.

Getting back into the swing of things

Getting back into the school mindset has been kind of hard for me this semester.  I just seem to be behind on my reading and ability to keep track of homework.  It's been kind of frustrating for me but I think I know the reason.

I've picked up a few projects this semester publishing ebooks.  In my writing class during spring semester we explored the role of technology and social media in research and the study of literature. As the final product of this exploration we collaborated on an ebook, each contributing a chapter to the final product.  We all took extra responsibilities, getting ready to launch our book out into the real world.  My responsibility was the design team. We were in charge of formatting the ebook and developing an epub and mobi versions which could be read on almost all the popular ereaders. It was a great experience and I found an interest in epublishing. Also, one cool result was that, since we put the book up on Goodreads, I now have an author's profile there instead of a normal one.

Just before the semester started, Dr. Burton contacted a few of us about potential jobs converting books into ebooks.  I needed some more money and thought it would be a great learning experience so I responded.  One of the ebook projects I'm working on is for the Neil A. Maxwell institute, converting some of the books they own the rights for to ebooks to allow them to distribute more easily online. 

It's been an interesting experience. converting something into ebook requires a lot of attention to detail for the formatting and a little knowledge of programs like InDesign and code like html.  I have learned a lot from this experience and truly I'm having fun, but it takes a lot of time. 

It's kind of fun to be able to tell people I'm publishing ebooks.  This is something I hope to continue learning about and finding out more effective ways to make the final product. 

If anyone wants to see the book we made, you can check it out here