Removing Titles From A Whole Stateful of Libraries And Schools
Is a heinous crime of bigoted intent.
As a lifelong lover of books, a committed believer in the worth and power of The Right Book At The Right Time — especially during the teenage years — I’ve been feeling a confusion of emotion recently, reading about efforts being made to censor and ban books in certain parts of the U.S.A.
I’m used to seeing reports about groups of parents challenging a book’s availability at a school, or it’s inclusion on the syllabus. That angers me, but it’s not something which is confined to the US — it happens here in the UK now and again (not as regularly for sure) and I’m sure it must occur elsewhere too.
However, currently in the USA books are under such sustained and wide reaching threat, that my incendiary anger is being washed with an intense sadness and truly tearful inclinations.
My adult child A’s boyfriend, H, lives in Texas. He wants out. Actually, he wants to come over here and live with us (well, with A, but A lives with us, so…). It could be a while before that can be a possibility though, between COVID, college courses, lack of money, visas etc. Still, I watch and read these reports and I just think, the sooner the better!
Matt Krause (Republican State Representative, Texas) is mounting a crusade against knowledge.
He is waging war against all free public access, through schools and libraries, to books which tackle hugely important truths about American history; about medical issues; laws/rights; autonomy/identity/sexuality/gender; culture; and common social prejudice.
These books are theoretically related to House Bill 3979, a so-called anti-CRT bill that bans teaching any materials that could mean “an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or sex. All 850 Books Texas Lawmaker Matt Krause Wants to Ban: An Analysis (bookriot.com) Danika Ellis, Nov. 2021
Yes. I’m afraid you did just read that correctly. There are 850 book titles to be seen upon the sixteen page list Krause submitted to the Texas Education Agency during October 2021. You can find a more detailed analysis of the list in the linked article above, but generally and broadly speaking the books listed can be sorted into categories identified as: Human Rights Sex Education LGBTQ+ Characters and Issues Race and Racism
That list in it’s entirety is here: krausebooklist.pdf (texastribune.org)
Worth special mention within that massive collection of titles (in my opinion) are the following:
Anything involving ‘Roe v Wade’ in particular, or abortion (sex/pregnancy/birth control) in general, is to be expunged if Krause has his way. For example:
‘Abortion Decisions of the Supreme Court, 1973 Through 1989 : A Comprehensive Review with Historical Commentary’ — Dan Drucker (1990)
‘Roe v. Wade : Abortion and a Woman’s Right to Privacy’ — Melissa Higgins (2013)
and:
‘Roe v. Wade : The Untold Story of the Landmark Supreme Court Decision That Made Abortion Legal’ — Marian Faux (1988)
It will also become practically impossible to find any material which supports the ‘controversial’ (?) concept that Black Lives Matter. Krause wants to remove and deny any books which centre around either the movement and recent protests, or the historical issues (ie. slavery to prejudice) around that simple truth.
‘2020 Black Lives Matter Marches’ — Joyce L. Markovics (2021) has the dubious honour of being right at the top of that list, which also then names books like:
‘The New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness’ — Michelle Alexander (2020)
‘When They Call You A Terrorist : A Story of Black Lives Matter and the Power to Change the World’ — Patrisse Khan-Cullors (2020) (This author being one of the originators of the BLM movement)
‘Caste : The Origins of Our Discontents’ — Isabel Wilkerson (2020) (Wilkerson is a Pulitzer winning journalist and this work placed on lists for multiple book prizes)
‘We Were Eight Years in Power : An American Tragedy’ (2017) and ‘Between The World and Me’ (2015)— Ta-Nehisi Coates (also a well-known, award winning journalist and author)
‘Stamped from the Beginning : The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America’ — Ibram X. Kendi (2016) and also ‘How To Be An Antiracist’ by the same author (2019)
I was surprised to find I couldn’t spot Angie Thomas’ YA novel ‘The Hate You Give’ (2017, film adaptation 2018) on the list, (correct me if I’m just missing it!) — though her second novel, ‘On The Come Up’ (2019) is there — as I remember reading it was being banned in at least one Texas school district and know it was thought unsuitable and ‘anti-police’ by many parents (it isn’t!). In fact ‘The Hate You Give’ became one of the most challenged books of 2017 and 2018 according to the American Library Association.
Thomas’ debut novel, ‘The Hate You Give’ was directly inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does — or does not — say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.” The Hate U Give — Angie Thomas
Thomas originally used the fatal shooting of 22 year old Oscar Grant in 2009 (Oakland, California) as the basis for a short story as part of her university coursework. Then later:
“ The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Sandra Bland drew Thomas back to expand the project into a novel,[2] which she titled after Tupac Shakur’s “THUG LIFE” concept: “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody”.[4] Events surrounding the killings of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile[5] and Michael Brown,[6] and widespread ensuing protests against racism and police brutality, also informed moments in the book.” - Wikipedia article
There is however a novel on Kraus’ list which deals with some similar themes. That is ‘All American Boys’ — Jason Reynolds (2017), another YA (Young Adult) novel, which:
“…..tells the story of two teenage boys, Rashad Butler and Quinn Collins, as they handle racism and police brutality in their community. The novel has gained attention in recent years, becoming the third most banned book of 2020, due to its inclusion of anti-police messages, alcohol, drug usage, and profanity.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_American_Boys
We also need to address the similar attempt⅕ at erasure of all LGBTQ+ inclusion and information, with the list including any book which shows a whisper of a mention of variations in gender and sexuality. A couple of examples which really stood out to me are:
‘Beyond the Gender Binary’ — Alok Menon (2020)
‘Boy Erased : A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family’ — Gerard Conley (2018) (which has been adapted as a film by Joel Edgerton, who also took on a starring role along with Nicole Kidman and Russel Crowe — released 2019)
and also:
‘Middlesex’ — Jeffrey Eugenides (2002) ( A Pulitzer Prize-winning novel)
Many of the titles I want to highlight in this section are other Young Adult (YA) novels, most of which I have read myself and wholly approve/recommend:
‘Two Boys Kissing’(2013) & ‘Boy Meets Boy’(2003) — David Levithan ‘The Miseducation of Cameron Post’ — Emily M. Danforth (2012, film 2018) ‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’ — Benjamin Alire Saenz (2012) ‘Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda’ (2015)(as ‘Love, Simon’ in film version 2018) & ‘The Upside of Unrequited’ (2017)— both Becky Albertalli ‘I’ll Give You The Sun’ — Jandy Nelson (2015) ‘If I Was Your Girl’ (2016) & ‘Birthday’ (2019) — both by Meredith Russo ‘Highly Illogical Behaviour’ — John Corey Whaley (2016) ‘They Both Die At The End’ (2017), ‘History Is All You Left Me’(2017)— Adam Silvera ‘The Art of Being Normal’ — Lisa Williamson (2018) ‘The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angeles)’ — Amy Spalding (2018) ‘Lawn Boy’ — Jonathan Evison (2018) ‘The Gravity of Us’ — Phil Stamper (2020) ‘How It All Blew Up’ — Ahmadi Arvin (2020) ‘Darius the Great Deserves Better’ — Adib Korram (2020) ‘Cemetery Boys’ — Aidan Thomas (2020)
Look them up. Buy them! (My personal favourites are the David Levithan and Adam Silvera novels).
I read a piece just the other day about ‘Lawn Boy’ (Jonathan Evison), written by the marvellous James Finn, which is well worth having a look at. As he points out, this is a sweet hopeful story, yet there have been calls to not only remove or ban, but to burn the book! (The claims they are making are entirely inaccurate by the way).
Also aimed at children and teens, numerous book titles which obviously fall into the category of ‘sex education’— but under that umbrella I’m including informative texts about puberty too — and then non-fiction regarding the sexuality spectrum and gender variations. I can only assume that it is the conservative/evangelical/extremist Christian view that these subjects are not suitable material for…well anyone, but most particularly for the school aged members of the community.
‘Real Talk About Sex & Consent : What Every Teen Needs To Know’ — Cheryl M. Bradshaw (2020)
‘She, He, They, Them : Understanding Gender Identity’ — Rebecca Stanborough (2020)
‘Wait, What? : A Comic Book Guide to Relationships, Bodies, and Growing Up’ — Heather Corinna, author (founder of Scarleteen.com) and Isabella Rotman, illustrator (2019)
The three books above are only a small selection of those which can be found as you trawl through this horrendous list.
I also came across the book linked below, which I can only imagine (having never actually seen a copy) is included for similar reasons — mention (and depictions, being that it’s the graphic novel version?) of fertility, menstruation, sex, pregnancy and childbirth — and not because the novel tells the story of religious extremism, subjugation of women, rape, forced pregnancy/birth and the consequent ejection of the mother (handmaid) from the home whilst the baby is kept to be raised by the ‘Commander’ and ‘Wife’. Male superiority, religion and procreation are the main tenets of this new state of ‘Gilead’, a place which is purely fictional, but not I often think too far removed from what the likes of Krause (and the likes of former US Vice President Mike Pence) would actually prefer to be presiding over.
The Handmaid’s Tale: A Graphic Novel’ — Margaret Atwood (original novel 1998), Renee Nault (adaptor and illustrator 2019)
Similarly:
‘V for Vendetta’ — Alan Moore
“A frightening and powerful tale of the loss of freedom and identity in a chillingly believable totalitarian world, V for Vendetta stands as one of the highest achievements of the comics medium and a defining work for creators Alan Moore and David Lloyd.
Set in an imagined future England that has given itself over to fascism, this groundbreaking story captures both the suffocating nature of life in an authoritarian police state and the redemptive power of the human spirit which rebels against it. Crafted with sterling clarity and intelligence, V for Vendetta brings an unequaled depth of characterization and verisimilitude to its unflinching account of oppression and resistance.” - Goodreads
Interestingly, though perhaps not surprisingly, Krause also wants rid of the following title:
‘When Religion & Politics Mix : How Matters of Faith Influence Political Policies’ — Kenneth Mackintosh (2006) — aimed at ages 12–15 (grades 7–9)
Language and Culture.
‘Quinceanara’ — Ilan Stavans, ed. (2010)
“This volume compiled by Ilan Stavans examines the importance of ritual and celebration and the quinceañera celebration’s growing social importance to in the Latino community, particularly in the United States.
The essays explore the quinceañera and the coming-of-age ritual from various angles. Prior to 2007, the quinceañera received no formal ritual through the Catholic Church, which has since issued one. As such, the role of religion and the Catholic Church in the quinceañera celebration is given extensive consideration. Gender, family status, class, race, as well as the aspects of performance are all discussed as central themes of the celebration. Delving through myriad perspectives, Quinceañeras illuminates the festivities’ form and function in creating social and personal identity within the family and the larger Latino community.”
“Ilan Stavans is the Lewis-Sebring Professor of Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College and the recipient of numerous honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Latino Literature Prize, the Antonia Pantoja Award, Chile’s Presidential Medal, and the Ruben Dario Distinction.”
Why on earth would this book be on a ‘remove’ list?
I’m aware there are a high number of migrants from Mexico and Spanish speaking South American countries who have made their homes in Texas, sometimes recently, sometimes generations ago. Are Kraus and his cronies so ‘anti-migrant’ (“build a wall”) that they want to remove all sense of acceptable normality from cultural traditions? Surely this is not what America is supposed to be about! What is it that is written on the plaque on the Statue of Liberty?:
The New Colossus “Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” - Emma Lazarus
Krause extends his reach to exclude Spanish speaking readers of the YA books listed and other various titles.
‘Con Tango son tres’ — Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell (authors). Sandra Senra Gomez, Oscar Senra Gomez (translators). Justin Cole (illustrator).
‘Aristotle y Dante Descruben Los Secretos del Universo’ — Benjamin Alire Saenz (who incidentally works in the Creative Writing department of the University of Texas in El Paso)
‘Te Daría El Sol’ — Jandy Nelson
Qué me está pasando? : las respuestas a algunas de las preguntas más embarazosas del mundo — Peter Mayle (2013)
Nor do America’s First Nations Peoples fair well here, as the inclusion of ‘The Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears’ — Susan E. Harmen (2019) would attest.
Danika Ellis, the author of the ‘Book Riot’ article linked at the beginning of this piece goes on to say in their conclusion:
“Not only is this list badly put together, with strange gaps, puzzling inclusions, and broadly applied keywords, but its goal is oppressive and dangerous. Even if this list made any sense, that wouldn’t make it better. Antiracist books, sex ed books, and LGBTQ books are exactly the kinds of topics that should be in school libraries. They’re subjects that kids and teens are curious about, and they may not be things they feel comfortably speaking to their parents about.
It’s also irresponsible to take this information out of schools. Kids need information about puberty and sex. They have questions that they deserve answers to. Also, keep in mind that age category pie graph: these are mostly YA books, not board books. Teenagers should be able to explore questions about sexuality, power, oppression, and more.
What’s more, denying kids this information puts them in danger. This house bill is supposed to prevent “discomfort,” but what about the discomfort of kids who experience racism, or who never see themselves represented in the curriculum or the books on the shelves? What about the discomfort of queer kids who see that even mentioning people like them is categorized as inappropriate or obscene or even “pornography”? Queer and trans kids face much higher risks of depression and suicide when they are in an unaccepting environment, and schools play a big role in that. Queer and trans books save lives.”
As a final note, what kind of person wants to ban/remove a book like ‘We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures’ (2011) — which is written and published by…wait for it…. Amnesty International!? Surely that just sums up Kraus’ level of temerity. One things for sure, move to get rid of that one and you are definitely opening yourself up for a whole host of legal trouble.
Thank you for reading. Stay safe, stay warm, stay well — and for a fun and informative look at one good book each month during 2022, please think of joining the book club set up by a lovely bunch of people who run the publication linked below (proceeds of associated articles’ reads will be given to a very good cause, if you needed any further encouragement!).
Counter Arts publication book club for 2022: