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L.A.C.K. & Censoround
July 31, 2003
"...as if kids want books with lessons."
USA Today interviews the author parents love to hate, Lois Lowry: "There's a website that calls me the Antichrist."
[TT] USA Today
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:45:00 AM
I knew it!
David Fiander has confirmed my Where's Waldo? theory:
"You're hypothesis that there's a bare breast in one of the Waldo books is absolutely correct. One of the 'spreads' in which one has to hunt for Waldo is a beach. But, of course, the books are originally European, so there's at least one women dressed the way women normally dress in Europe at the beach: wearing only a bottom."
So kids, be sure to look extra sharp!
[TT] via email
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:45:00 AM
July 30, 2003
Needless to say, the book's been banned as well
Bangladesh and Pakistan have banned an issue of Newsweek that covers a controversial book about the Quran.
[TT] SFGate.com via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:01:08 PM
"Yes, that's censorship. It's also called good parenting."
The Montgomery County (TX) Commissioners Court's decision to not alter the current public library acquisition policy may cost the commissioners their seats in the next election.
[TT] ABC13 via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:00:00 PM
And that's a BAD thing?
The Montgomery County (TX) Commissioners Court ruled that the county library system will remain ALA members, despite claims by the Christian conservative organization Republican Leadership Council that it's an "ultra-liberal, atheist-based organization for the advancement of pornography and homosexuality."
[TT] Houston Chronicle via LISNews.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:30:24 AM
July 22, 2003
School staff burns controversial article
Staffers at Canterbury University in New Zealand burned copies of a journal that had an article examining a controversial master's thesis questioning the extent of the Holocaust.
[TT] New Zealand Herald via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:00:15 PM
"...compiled by librarians in the know..."
The Chicago Tribune is asking children and teenagers to select a book from its list of 100 recommendations and write reviews for their Sunday Books section.
[TT] Chicago Tribune
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:10:27 AM
July 21, 2003
"...the joy of desperate librarians..."
Marian Kester Coombs accuses Harry Potter of contributing to "higher interest in the occult, the Wiccan religion, and 'witchcraft' in general." (Without citing any facts to back up her claim, of course.) She also seems to be blaming him for corrupting women's roles in society.
Another big thanks, this time to NewPages.com, who have linked to L.A.C.K. at their weblog.
[TT] Human Events via Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator & NewPages Weblog
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:10:10 PM
Seeing red... well, NOT seeing red, really...
Dissident writers of the Soviet era are no longer required reading in Russian high schools, much to the chagrin of Russian writers and musicians.
Incidently, big thanks to Steven and Jessamyn for the kind links to L.A.C.K..
[TT] BBC News via Blog of a Bookslut
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:03:03 AM
July 18, 2003
"...children attempting to cast spells on teachers..."
Paul LeBon, author of Escape from Voicemail Hell, has written a column lamenting the attacks on Harry Potter by Christian groups, saying "I have to wonder, how shallow or 'under-parented' would a child have to be to believe that witchcraft exists merely because they read it in a book."
[TT] Southlake Times via Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator & Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:42:08 PM
July 17, 2003
Wizard eye for the Muggle guy
Michael Bronski argues in the Boston Phoenix that Harry Potter has a gay subtext that is subconciously driving Christian groups to rail against it.
[TT] Boston Phoenix via MobyLives
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:09:23 PM
Once again, kids outsmart adults
Tara Watson received the 2002-3 Student Press Freedom Award in Oregon for her article about book banning in her high school's newspaper, The Westview Prowl.
[TT] The Oregonian via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:00:21 PM
It contains language 10th graders have NEVER heard!
The Coffee County Board of Education in Georgia asked the Coffee High School teachers and administrators to review Of Mice and Men as a selection on the summer reading list for the advanced-level English classes. The book was challenged by parents who felt the book "was not appropriate for required reading" for 10th graders.
[TT] Action News, WSB-TV via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:42:00 AM
"We believe in academic freedom in Chapel Hill."
Students, academics, administrators and legislators are voicing their support for UNC-Chapel Hill's decision to include Nickel and Dimed on its summer reading list. The Herald-Sun article includes links to stories about this year's controversy and last year's, over Approaching the Qur'an.
[TT] The Herald-Sun via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:08:00 AM
July 16, 2003
Exercising one's First Amendment rights
Salt Lake City's Plan-B Theatre Company had a fundraiser this past Monday called "And the Banned Played On," in which local figures ranging from politicians to charity directors read from banned books, including The Lorax and the Bible.
[TT] Salt Lake Tribune via Google
[TT] ABC 4 via Google News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:23:00 PM
July 14, 2003
Next year they should assign 'Stupid White Men'
Republican legislators in North Carolina and conservative students' groups have criticized UNC-Chapel Hill for selecting the book Nickel and Dimed for the school's summer reading list. Said Sen. Hugh Webster, "Nickel and Dimed could probably be described as intellectual pornography with no redeeming characteristics." Sen. Austin Allran accused the title of "anti-Christian bigotry" and added, "The state legislature is beginning to get a little bit tired of this. The university needs to cut back on its arrogance and start caring about the people who are paying the bills there."
School Provost Robert Shelton said, "Nobody I talked to thought this would be a controversial book."
[TT] The News & Observer via LISNews.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:50:00 PM
July 11, 2003
Redbook?
Wal-Mart will be using special binders to conceal the risque covers of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Glamour, and Redbook. The move comes right after the uberchain both banned such men's magazines as Maxim and joined the Kingdom Ventures Christian Merchants Association.
[TT] Slate via Blog of a Bookslut
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:54:31 PM
Darry cocks his ear and listens
Some professors of the English department at University of the Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan, are protesting a proposal to remove from syllabi works that could be considered offensive to conservative Muslims.
[TT] Guardian Unlimited Books via Blog of a Bookslut
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:41:55 PM
July 10, 2003
It's evil! Don't touch it!
The Harry Potter series has banned again, this time at a Christian school in Melbourne, Australia. Principal Bert Langerak said he and the school's librarians made the decision after deciding the books do not comply with the school's policy on fantasy literature, which bars books that portray evil as good. "As Christians, witchcraft and the occult are considered evil," he said.
[TT] NEWS.com.au via LISNews.com
[EDITOR'S NOTE] There's a weird gap between May 2003 and today. I assume I stopped posting to the site, although I'm not sure why. Theoretically, since the gap happened while my improv troupe was putting on its first official show run during this time, I took a break from updating the site. But since I was usually posting while at work, I'm not sure this is entirely correct. Oh, well.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:23:16 PM
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