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Over the last two hundred years books that many of us a will be familiar with have been suppressed or challenged on sexual grounds. The reasons put forward by the challengers have ranged anywhere from themes of prostitution, promiscuity and adultery through to explicit or graphic sexual description. Often these books are labelled as profane, lewd or pornographic, lacking in any social value. As a result books have been removed from libraries, editions have been edited, books sent back to publishers and even burned in the case of Ulysses in 1922.
Over the years as obscenity laws have changed, books that have been hidden away or blacklisted as absence have made their way back onto the shelves of libraries, though more recently books intended for young adults have come under fire as inappropriate. More often than not is it due to sexual themes and mention birth control or STD’s and are often thought to encourage sexual experimentation or even take away the importance of marital sex.
The list of books below that have been challenged or suppressed on sexual grounds, many of which are quite well known or considered now as modern classics, which illustrates the changing view that society has on erotica and sex in literature.
I found these titles appeared in a few pre existing lists including the ALA lists I mentioned in the last post, which now have been added to the links gadget. The books, 120 Banned Books and Literature Suppressed on Sexual Grounds (An E-book accessed through the Swinburne Catalogue) also listed some of these and gave me a clearer understanding of the reasons why books are challenged or banned on sexual grounds. Having this context makes going on with further research alot easier.
There are alot more titles listed in these other lists. I think they are worth a read.
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
Boy by James Hanley
Christine by Steven King
The Deer Park by Norman Mailer
Forever by Judy Blume
From Here To Eternity by James Jones
The Goats by Brock Cole
Ladies In The Parlour by Jim Tully
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by DH Lawrence
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
Snow falling on cedars by David Guterson
Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
Tropic Of Capricorn & Tropic Cancer by Henry Miller
Ulysses by James Joyce
FEATURED BOOK : Forever by Judy Blume
Published in 1975 Forever has been under attack from may parents with teenagers and still remains one of Judy Blume’s most popular and well known books, perhaps due to controversy that always seems to be surrounding it. It tells the story the story of Katherine and Michael, two high school seniors and their blooming relationship from when they first meet, to the complexities of first time sexual experiences, to when the relationship ends before going off to college and everything else in between.
Dealing with themes of teenage sexuality and even birth control, Forever has been challenged for reasons including description of sexual activity, encouraging sexual activity between teenagers, taking away the importance of marital sex and even disobedience to parents. It appears on a few Challenged ot suppressed book lists, including ALA's 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 1990–2000 and 100Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2000-2009.
The list below includes just a few of the occasions FOREVER has been challenged or banned over the last 30 years. My research has only led me to find recorded evidence of this in America so I am not sure about other parts of the world.
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
Boy by James Hanley
Christine by Steven King
The Deer Park by Norman Mailer
Forever by Judy Blume
From Here To Eternity by James Jones
The Goats by Brock Cole
Ladies In The Parlour by Jim Tully
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by DH Lawrence
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
Snow falling on cedars by David Guterson
Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
Tropic Of Capricorn & Tropic Cancer by Henry Miller
Ulysses by James Joyce
FEATURED BOOK : Forever by Judy Blume
Published in 1975 Forever has been under attack from may parents with teenagers and still remains one of Judy Blume’s most popular and well known books, perhaps due to controversy that always seems to be surrounding it. It tells the story the story of Katherine and Michael, two high school seniors and their blooming relationship from when they first meet, to the complexities of first time sexual experiences, to when the relationship ends before going off to college and everything else in between.
Dealing with themes of teenage sexuality and even birth control, Forever has been challenged for reasons including description of sexual activity, encouraging sexual activity between teenagers, taking away the importance of marital sex and even disobedience to parents. It appears on a few Challenged ot suppressed book lists, including ALA's 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 1990–2000 and 100Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2000-2009.
The list below includes just a few of the occasions FOREVER has been challenged or banned over the last 30 years. My research has only led me to find recorded evidence of this in America so I am not sure about other parts of the world.
Though it's not a focus of my project, it would be interesting to find out more about censored literature in Australia.
Sourced mainly from Literature suppressed on sexual grounds by Dawn B. Sova and Hit list for teen 2 : frequently challenged books by Teri S. Lesesne and Rosemary Chance.)
1982
Challenged at Orlando (Florida) schools and at Park Hill (Missouri) South Junior High School Library, where it was housed on the restricted shelves because the book promotes ‘the stranglehold of humanism on life in America’.
1984
Challenged at the Cedar Rapids (Iwoa) Public Library because it is ‘pornography and explores areas that God didn’t intend to explore outside marriage.
1988
The principal at West Herando (Florida) yielded to parent’s complaints that the novel was ‘inappropriate’ and asked that it be removed from the school library shelves.
1993
The super superintendent of schools in Riblake (Wisconsin), filed a ‘request for reconsideration’ of the book after determining that is was ‘sexually explicit’. The book was placed on the ‘parental permission shelf’ then later confiscated by the school principal. High School guidance councillor, Mike Dishnow, spoke out against the district school policy and crtitised the actions of the principal in restricting student access to the novel, was not rehired the following academic year. He sued the school district and a federal Jury in Madison, Wisconsin awarded him $394, 560 in damages and lost wages.
2002
The Eligan Area district school board (Illinois) voted to lift the 1995 ban and return the Forever to the middle school library’s shelves.
2005
Sourced from Small Words Magazine
In Pasadena, Texas a parent's complaint concerning Forever resulted in the book being removed from the city's school libraries. In northern California, the same year, a 6-year-old student was charged with sexual harassment for bringing her copy of Forever to school to lend a friend.
The following are a few links that I found to be of significant interest while researching FOREVER. I thought to include them as it's interesting to find out more about her as person, a writer for teenagers and her views on censorship.
The two videos have been added by copying and pasting the embedded code that is provided at the original source, into my blog. It works in both the edit Html and Compse view.
Judy Blume V’s Censors
A video of Judt Blume about censors of her books including FOREVER.
Banned: Judy Blume’s FOREVER
An article from Small Words Magazine
Teen Spirit
An article from the UK Guardian.
Judy Blume Talks About Censorship
Pages from Judy Blume’s Website
Judy Blume’s Lesons in Love
An interview from the U.K Telegraph.
Judy Blume and Friends
Another video of Judy Blume and other figures at the National Coalition Against Censorship 35th Anniversery Tribute.
Challenged at Orlando (Florida) schools and at Park Hill (Missouri) South Junior High School Library, where it was housed on the restricted shelves because the book promotes ‘the stranglehold of humanism on life in America’.
1984
Challenged at the Cedar Rapids (Iwoa) Public Library because it is ‘pornography and explores areas that God didn’t intend to explore outside marriage.
1988
The principal at West Herando (Florida) yielded to parent’s complaints that the novel was ‘inappropriate’ and asked that it be removed from the school library shelves.
1993
The super superintendent of schools in Riblake (Wisconsin), filed a ‘request for reconsideration’ of the book after determining that is was ‘sexually explicit’. The book was placed on the ‘parental permission shelf’ then later confiscated by the school principal. High School guidance councillor, Mike Dishnow, spoke out against the district school policy and crtitised the actions of the principal in restricting student access to the novel, was not rehired the following academic year. He sued the school district and a federal Jury in Madison, Wisconsin awarded him $394, 560 in damages and lost wages.
2002
The Eligan Area district school board (Illinois) voted to lift the 1995 ban and return the Forever to the middle school library’s shelves.
2005
Sourced from Small Words Magazine
In Pasadena, Texas a parent's complaint concerning Forever resulted in the book being removed from the city's school libraries. In northern California, the same year, a 6-year-old student was charged with sexual harassment for bringing her copy of Forever to school to lend a friend.
The following are a few links that I found to be of significant interest while researching FOREVER. I thought to include them as it's interesting to find out more about her as person, a writer for teenagers and her views on censorship.
The two videos have been added by copying and pasting the embedded code that is provided at the original source, into my blog. It works in both the edit Html and Compse view.
Judy Blume V’s Censors
A video of Judt Blume about censors of her books including FOREVER.
Banned: Judy Blume’s FOREVER
An article from Small Words Magazine
Teen Spirit
An article from the UK Guardian.
Judy Blume Talks About Censorship
Pages from Judy Blume’s Website
Judy Blume’s Lesons in Love
An interview from the U.K Telegraph.
Judy Blume and Friends
Another video of Judy Blume and other figures at the National Coalition Against Censorship 35th Anniversery Tribute.
Other Reference Material
Books
Blume, J 1975, Forever, Simon & Schuster, New York.
Karolides, N, Bald, M & Sova, D 2005, 120 banned books, Checkmark, New York.
E-books
Lesesne, Teri S. 2002, Hit List for Young Adults 2 : Frequently Challenged Books, EBL EBook Library, ALA Editions, Chicago, viewed on 18 April 2010.
Sova, Dawn B. 2006, Literature suppressed on sexual grounds, EBL EBook Library, Infobase, New York, viewed on 16 April 2010.
Journal Articles (online)
Owen, M 2003, ‘Developing a love of reading: why young adult literature is important’, Orana, vol.39, no.1, viewed 16 April 2010.
Books
Blume, J 1975, Forever, Simon & Schuster, New York.
Karolides, N, Bald, M & Sova, D 2005, 120 banned books, Checkmark, New York.
E-books
Lesesne, Teri S. 2002, Hit List for Young Adults 2 : Frequently Challenged Books, EBL EBook Library, ALA Editions, Chicago, viewed on 18 April 2010.
Sova, Dawn B. 2006, Literature suppressed on sexual grounds, EBL EBook Library, Infobase, New York, viewed on 16 April 2010.
Journal Articles (online)
Owen, M 2003, ‘Developing a love of reading: why young adult literature is important’, Orana, vol.39, no.1, viewed 16 April 2010.
http://www.alia.org.au/publishing/orana/39.1/owen.html
Research and Reflection
I chose to feature FOREVER as I read it many years ago but never remember there being this much fuss over it. I know it was in my local library and pretty sure it was in my school library. I reread it just to refresh my memory and to see what all the fuss is about. I did say in my last post that I didn't want to fall into the censorship debate but I have to say I do find some of charges made by 'concerned parents' that I referenced further up (and some that I didn't include) to be pretty absurd. Even more so the last instance on the list, where in 2005 a 6 year old was charged with sexual harassment for bringing the book to school!! What the hell??? I could have listed so many more but it would have been too long.
In this particular version that I have there is an introduction by Judy Blume thats basically says that you, as a teenager, must take onus for your own actions and decisions. She talks about the risks of pregnancy, STD's and provides details of a Planned Parenthood Office in New York. It's funny despite all of this people still take such a moral offense.
I found research process to be fairly straight forward for this entry, as I followed the same steps as I took for the last post. I used the books I had starting point and went on from there to research online. The books are really quite informative so I find I did go back to them a bit.
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