Comments on: Banned in Missouri?

By: The Ni Knights

The Ni Knights — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 22:32:07 +0000

I just wanted to say, CONGRATULATIONS!!! You’ve just hit a sore spot with a few people.
I hope you are taking this all as a compliment, though I can understand how frustrating it might be to have people trying to shut you up.
Personally I think it’s a complete waste when so many people fought and died to give people of this nation the freedom to say what they want and yet so many are willing to throw it all away just so they won’t run the risk of accidentally reading something they don’t agree with.

Never stop writing, never remain silent, even if they hate you for it!

By: Tera

Tera — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 00:30:36 +0000

while I agree that having a banned book is an achievement in that in reality it just symbolizes how good the book is, it makes me really sad that your book would be taken from a public library. what about all the dykes in missouri who desperately need a role model? It makes me sad when the decision of what is or what is not acceptable literature is made for people by others, people deserve the chance to make that decision for themselves. any word yet of the outcome??

By: DSW & KSB

DSW & KSB — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 21:46:35 +0000

CONGRATULATIONS FROM YOUR FANS IN LONDON (ENGLAND)! Having a banned book is quite an achievement, well done!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 16:20:05 +0000

P.S. That would be “yourselves” in the second paragraph — I guess my inner editor was on her break.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 16:18:34 +0000

Here’s the coverage of the hearing on whether to pull the books:
http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1171432.html

I’ll let y’all check it out for yourself, but I won’t be giving anything away by noting there was lots of wailing and gnashing o’ teeth about “looking out for our kids.”

Sheesh! Any self-respecting, curious kid can evade any adult’s attempt to hide “inappropriate” material. Way back in the day (the ’70s), my friends and I sure as hell knew where our parents kept their copies of “Fear of Flying,” “Joy of Sex,” “Catcher in the Rye,” “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” etc., etc.

Yes, “Our Bodies, Ourselves.” When we moved to Maine at the end of the ’60s, the librarian in our small town kept it behind the counter, and scolded my mom for bringing it home “where there were little children.”

And “Catcher” continues to get people’s panties in a wad here in Maine. At the end of 2004, a woman who HADN’T READ IT wanted officials to pull “Catcher” from the freshman curriculum at her son’s high school. Thankfully, the school board rejected that bright idea.

So Shadocat, Juliegrrl20, girlcheeks, Em — let me commiserate with you from northern New England, deep in the heart of the blue state, “cultural elite” Northeast. Ignorance is everywhere! The culture wars have no boundaries, unfortunately.

By: ED

ED — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 13:19:24 +0000

Remember, this is a country where earlier this week a woman in Georgia said that Harry Potter must be removed from school shelves or we face more school shootings.

And in a little bit o’useless trivia, Louise Mills was Louise “Weezy” Jefferson’s maiden name.

By: shadocat

shadocat — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 06:28:08 +0000

Actually, that cute li’l nickname has been around since I was a baby; but I guess I have chosen to stay and fight

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 04:13:11 +0000

Maybe they should change the name of the state to Misery.

By: Angel

Angel — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 20:31:45 +0000

While I have to agree with everyone else that being banned means you must have said something powerful, I’m still baffled that this sort of thing happens. I’m so glad your taking the Madonna attitude! (”Oops! I didn’t know we couldn’t talk about…”)

Here’s some more thoughts about it on my blog: http://dollarfifty.blogs.friendster.com/a_dollar_fifty_in_late_ch/2006/10/autobiography_a.html

By: girlcheeks

girlcheeks — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 14:40:47 +0000

holy cow!!!! i live about thirty or so miles from marshall mo and i cant believe they actually had your book in the first place as this is a pretty conservative region we are talking about here. that being said… i think its f*cking incredible that you made it into a library in the ozarks!!! and as everyone has already stated… awesome that you are joining ranks with the greats.