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Bobbette Strauss's avatar

Reading Henry Miller in my 20’s opened my mind to the fascinating & invigorating world of banned books - & how much great life I could find in them! So grateful…

Ann's avatar

My son's school district in VA ranked first place for the most banned books. When we moved to Hanover County for their highly-rated schools, we had no idea it would eventually be rated #1 for most-banned books in the state. We have an unelected school board and the GOP spends big money here to keep it that way.

Wendy horgan's avatar

Hear hear for Banned Books Week!!!

Didn't know but now do, thanks you you.

Your wonderful column makes me want to read them all!

Including revisit some old favorite authors.

Arkansas Blue's avatar

Not funny. I know too many people who openly profess to have never held or opened a book in their entire lives. Many of them are in their forties and fifties!

Saffy’s Mom's avatar

I worked with 2 men who both said they had have never read a book. I had never heard of such a thing. And one even told his wife that reading a book was as big a waste of time as watching TV.

Arkansas Blue's avatar

I can agree with this guy on TV watching, since I don't have one myself, but the part about books? He is either a non-voter, or he gets all his news from Facebook, like a woman I recently had occasion to speak to, and votes straight fascist party.

patricia's avatar

Jersey humor is an acquired taste...also, everything is about the smartphone today

Michelle Jordan's avatar

1984 by George Orwell is banned in many places. That book was required reading when I was in high school. What should have been banned at the time was Lord of the Flies. I hated it and told my teacher that William Golding is a pervert.

Pat Jones Garcia's avatar

Enjoyed your choices and write-ups. When a high school librarian decades ago I did have to be cautious about book selection but our schools had steps to follow should a book be questioned by a parent. Never had a ban problem. These days the problems are started mostly by outsiders or by parents who don't want anyone else to have different thoughts than they do. In more recent years as a public librarian I'm lucky to have retired before this recent conservative wave of banning.

pixxer1's avatar

Help! The Substack reader doesn't show an audio for this article.