This blog is a special service learning project of Professor Starr's American Literature class. The students have studied the American Library Association's Freedom to Read Statement and will be blogging this semester about challenged books such as Fahrenheit 451, Slaughterhouse-Five, and many more. They are eager to discuss this literature and the freedom to read! Your comments are welcome! Please note that this board is moderated, so your comments will not appear immediately. Although anonymous posts are permitted, names would be appreciated. Thank you!
6 comments:
My name is Matthew Levandoski. I hail from the cold prairies of Canada, and I enrolled in this course because I love stories. My primary educational background is that of attempting to live a full life and in 2005 attending (and graduating “With Distinction” from) the Victoria Motion Picture School in Victoria, British Columbia.
I prefer to read and write things with substance, as opposed to easier material. I prefer something with a theme that can be taken seriously. This is not to say that it must be tragic, but that it must be undertaken seriously.
My experience with banned or challenged books is limited. Or, at least, while reading them, I was not aware of their controversy. I read Steinbeck's East of Eden and Salinger's Catcher In The Rye as a child, but I was encouraged to read much more.
I am not American, so I can’t speak to the First Amendment (though I have read it), but I do believe in freedom of expression vehemently. However, given that some of the greatest works of art were created in countries under strict censorship law, I have to mention that it would seem that a completely free and open society is not always the most fertile grounds for creativity. It is impossible to expand the horizon if it does not exist.
I am most excited about reading Fahrenheit 451. I find it hard to believe that I have never read it before, since I have had the oportunity for over half of my lifespan. And, to be completely honest, I am not worried about reading any of the books. If I disagree with anything contained within them, it will only expand my worldview, and that can’t be a bad thing.
Being a writer, photographer, and film-maker, I empathize greatly with any artist who is not allowed to express themselves in any way they see fit, but as I said previously, one does need some boundaries, if only to have something to push against. One should not want their artistic endeavors to dwindle because they were undertaken in a vacuum.
My name is John Ford. I am an English major, and I want to be an English teacher. In high school, my favorite teachers were always my English teachers; it just seemed like they cared the most. So I guess I wanted to follow in their footsteps. My favorite genres are Science Fiction and Fantasy, but I’ll read just about anything I can get into. Admittedly, I haven’t read a very great number of books- maybe twenty or thirty throughout my life, which is why it makes sense that my favorite book series is very young. Books have always seemed like the highest form of art for me, though. I used to be an artist, and I've always loved music and movies, but books really are, at least to me, the greatest. The idea of creating an entire universe with words is amazing. Really, it’s my dream to become a writer. It’s funny, because when I told my mom that I wanted to write, the first thing she said was, “When you were a baby, I remember looking at you and thinking you’d grow up to be a great author one day.” ]I heard that, and I knew that I couldn’t choose to do anything else with my life; my decision was made. Eventually I cooled off, and decided to do both of the things I wanted to do, write and teach. So that’s where I am now. I have to say, I’m very excited for this English course, we’re taking now. It’s my first English class that uses actual novels! I remember how happy I was when I opened my box of books and saw a bunch of assorted short books of all shapes, sizes, and colors. I barely have time to register all the titles I’m reading. Truthfully, I’m excited to read every one. I think this is going to be a great semester, and I’m looking forward to all there is to come!
My name is Samantha Barger, and I am a student in English 223 American Literature. I am planning on majoring in English at Indiana University. I really enjoy reading all types of fiction, but I tend to lean toward classic novels. Some of my favorite books include The Grapes of Wrath, , and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn . My favorite author is Kurt Vonnegut, and my favorite book of his is Cat’s Cradle.
I have had experience with banned books in my life. In high school, I was reading Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut during study hall. I can remember giggling at his use of language, and the drawings that were included every few pages. The teacher who was supervising our class was curious about why I was laughing, and when she saw what I was reading she told me that I was not to read this “smut” in her classroom. After that, I made it my personal mission to read every Vonnegut book that I could get my hands on. After that, I moved on to reading many more controversial books. I believe that censorship can be very poisonous in a community, but discretion should be used when reading novels that contain themes like abuse or sex. An environment should be created where open discussion is welcome.
I think that the service learning opportunity in this course will be exciting. Community exposure to banned books is important because it can greatly increase understanding of controversial subjects. I am most excited about reading Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain because I have never read it before, but I really enjoyed the other books that I have read by Twain.
Hello! I am Sarah Bynum and am a student in the American Literature after 1865 class. I am a Liberal Arts major at Ivy Tech and have every intention of transferring to Indiana University in the fall of this year to get my Bachelors degree in Liberal Arts. I have no idea what I want to do with this degree, but I feel like it gives many options for the future. I attended St. Louis Christian College for my freshman year planning to go into youth ministry (Jr. High or High School students). That did not work out, but I am still very active in ministry by volunteering in my church’s youth group every Sunday. I enjoy it very much.
I have very little experience with banned or censored books and have not read any of the books on the reading list for this course. This being said, I am very excited to read all of them. I think I am most excited to read Mark Twain. I have heard differing opinions on most of them, so I am anxious to dive in and decide for myself.
The service-learning project is a great idea. I am a little nervous about posting my thoughts on a blog for the world to read, but that is something that I can get over. The day of reading that my class along with a creative writing class is hosting seems like wonderful idea. I especially like the fact that books are being collected to send to prisoners. I am very excited for this class, because I do enjoy reading. I also think there will be several opportunities for me to step outside of my comfort zone (i.e. this blog). It should be a great class!
I'm Elizabeth Starr, the professor teaching this class.
Here is the language policy that the students in ENGL 223 came up with for talking and writing about the literature we are studying. I credit them with coming up with a very nuanced policy, considering many angles (free speech, appropriateness, the difference between personal language and the language used by authors, etc.). I am proud of them!
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Language Policy for ENGL 223
Language use in a literature class can be problematic. Our class language policy is designed to be sensitive to all class members and to meet our expectations of professional discourse in the classroom and on a public blog that represents Ivy Tech. At the same time, we need to be free to discuss literature that often contains controversial or offensive language.
In general, we feel there is a distinction between our personal language, which should strive to be professional and appropriate, and the language used in the literature we discuss, which reflects the historical context of the times in which the books were written and the artistic choices of the authors. We believe the language in the books we are studying should be freely quoted in class and on the blog, even if the context is such that we would not use those same words in speech or writing ourselves. As an object of study, the language of the books we are reading should not be censored.
Check out the link to the American Library Associations's list of the top 10 banned books for 2011.
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/
21stcenturychallenged#2011
(Note: You may need to copy and paste the link into your browser. Or just Google ALA banned books 2011.)
Have you read any of the books on the list? What did you like or dislike about the book? What do you think about efforts to ban it?
I'm too old to have read many of the children's books on this list--but I loved both Brave New World and To Kill a Mockingbird as a young adult. In their different ways, both are powerful critiques of conformity...and both were profoundly inspiring and thought-provoking. I can't imagine my teen years without these books.
I'd love to read more of your comments.
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