Banned Books Week One
See Banned Books Week rant here!
Link of the week:
On Sunday, May 2, 2004, I went to the San Francisco Public Library to see an exhibit called "Reversing Vandalism." Click on the link to the website I set up focusing on this wonderful and unique exhibit.
Banned Book of the Week:
Tucker, Todd. Norte Dame Vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan. Loyola Pr. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) administrators found (2008) that a student-employee was guilty of racial harassment merely for reading in a public area an historical account of Notre Dame students’ fight with members of the Ku Klux Klan. The student-employee contacted the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and six months received a letter stating that IUPUI “regret(s) this situation took place,“ is committed to upholding freedom of expression on its campus, and no documents regarding this incident exist in the employee’s file. Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. July 2008, p. 159-60.
On to the book reviews -
Book Review by lena3
Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays is the first of David Sedaris’s books, but it has same kind of black humor as his more recent. If you have a slightly twisted sense of humor or if you don’t mind stories about crazy relatives, then this book is for you.
There are terrifically odd stories, both true and not of the events in people’s lives. They bring up subjects that people don’t normal talk about, but everyone can relate to. The book is divided into stories in the first half and essays in the second half. Two stories that stood out were The Last You’ll Hear From Me and Barrel Fever. The two essays that I enjoyed were Diary of a Smoker and Sedaris’s most famous essay, SantaLand Diaries.
In the The Last You’ll Hear From Me is a letter from a woman to read at her memorial. She proceeds to mention her boyfriend and an acquaintance of hers who had an affair together. She mentions all the horrible things people want to say to people when they betray them. The stories is quite humorous, in that it is something, I’ve certainly wanted to do. And really what is someone supposed to do to you if you’re already dead. Get mad? What do you care? And people being embarrassed by their behavior in public? A little revenge is always sweet.
One of the essays, Diary of a Smoker is amusing as well, and this is from a non-smoker and someone with major allergies. However, I’m not a stickler about smoking when outside. Which is sort of his point. This is one of his true stories about his mom and the days of smoking and drinking when around children and pregnant. He mentions how he and his sisters play the game, “Find Mom’s cigarettes.” This game consists of looking through old photos and trying to find pictures of his mother with a cigarette in her hand. The point of the game is the fact, that there was always a cigarette in her hand. I found this funny as I came from the generation where mother had a prescription bottle in her hand.
Like I said, his essays and stories are a bit warped, but spot on about *real* family life. Even if you don’t want to read them all, he sets his books in a way that make it easier to read. He writes short essays and quick short stories. You may find one of them that reminds you of yourself or your family. Embarrassingly so.
Book Review by lena3
E. Lynn Harris died a few months ago. His last book is due to be published early next year. Basketball Jones is about a man on the “down low” with a handsome, popular, famous NBA player. The African-American bisexual community is not something that is talked about or understood. Harris does an excellent job in the portrayal of this part of the queer community.
Dray and AJ met in college, when Dray was hired to tutor AJ. They immediately find a connection, but AJ wants a career in the NBA with no room for a out and proud ballplayer. Dray is content to be his down low boyfriend for a long time, throughout AJ’s rise in the NBA. Until, AJ decides he should get married for show. Unfortunately, the lady in question is more wise than either man realizes.
The book is part mystery, part sports, part queer, which make for a fantastic read. You never know quite where it will go, who knows what, what is going to happen. While you root for Dray, you do feel for AJ putting himself in the position and having no way out. Most of the women in the book are not sympathetic characters, but Dray does have a woman friend that sticks by him. It’s an excellent book, as are the majority of Harris’s novels. If you like sports, are interested in a true look at this aspect of the community, or just want a juicy, what happens next! kind of book, this is for you.
Link of the week:
On Sunday, May 2, 2004, I went to the San Francisco Public Library to see an exhibit called "Reversing Vandalism." Click on the link to the website I set up focusing on this wonderful and unique exhibit.
Banned Book of the Week:
Tucker, Todd. Norte Dame Vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan. Loyola Pr. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) administrators found (2008) that a student-employee was guilty of racial harassment merely for reading in a public area an historical account of Notre Dame students’ fight with members of the Ku Klux Klan. The student-employee contacted the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and six months received a letter stating that IUPUI “regret(s) this situation took place,“ is committed to upholding freedom of expression on its campus, and no documents regarding this incident exist in the employee’s file. Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. July 2008, p. 159-60.
On to the book reviews -
Book Review by lena3
Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays is the first of David Sedaris’s books, but it has same kind of black humor as his more recent. If you have a slightly twisted sense of humor or if you don’t mind stories about crazy relatives, then this book is for you.
There are terrifically odd stories, both true and not of the events in people’s lives. They bring up subjects that people don’t normal talk about, but everyone can relate to. The book is divided into stories in the first half and essays in the second half. Two stories that stood out were The Last You’ll Hear From Me and Barrel Fever. The two essays that I enjoyed were Diary of a Smoker and Sedaris’s most famous essay, SantaLand Diaries.
In the The Last You’ll Hear From Me is a letter from a woman to read at her memorial. She proceeds to mention her boyfriend and an acquaintance of hers who had an affair together. She mentions all the horrible things people want to say to people when they betray them. The stories is quite humorous, in that it is something, I’ve certainly wanted to do. And really what is someone supposed to do to you if you’re already dead. Get mad? What do you care? And people being embarrassed by their behavior in public? A little revenge is always sweet.
One of the essays, Diary of a Smoker is amusing as well, and this is from a non-smoker and someone with major allergies. However, I’m not a stickler about smoking when outside. Which is sort of his point. This is one of his true stories about his mom and the days of smoking and drinking when around children and pregnant. He mentions how he and his sisters play the game, “Find Mom’s cigarettes.” This game consists of looking through old photos and trying to find pictures of his mother with a cigarette in her hand. The point of the game is the fact, that there was always a cigarette in her hand. I found this funny as I came from the generation where mother had a prescription bottle in her hand.
Like I said, his essays and stories are a bit warped, but spot on about *real* family life. Even if you don’t want to read them all, he sets his books in a way that make it easier to read. He writes short essays and quick short stories. You may find one of them that reminds you of yourself or your family. Embarrassingly so.
Book Review by lena3
E. Lynn Harris died a few months ago. His last book is due to be published early next year. Basketball Jones is about a man on the “down low” with a handsome, popular, famous NBA player. The African-American bisexual community is not something that is talked about or understood. Harris does an excellent job in the portrayal of this part of the queer community.
Dray and AJ met in college, when Dray was hired to tutor AJ. They immediately find a connection, but AJ wants a career in the NBA with no room for a out and proud ballplayer. Dray is content to be his down low boyfriend for a long time, throughout AJ’s rise in the NBA. Until, AJ decides he should get married for show. Unfortunately, the lady in question is more wise than either man realizes.
The book is part mystery, part sports, part queer, which make for a fantastic read. You never know quite where it will go, who knows what, what is going to happen. While you root for Dray, you do feel for AJ putting himself in the position and having no way out. Most of the women in the book are not sympathetic characters, but Dray does have a woman friend that sticks by him. It’s an excellent book, as are the majority of Harris’s novels. If you like sports, are interested in a true look at this aspect of the community, or just want a juicy, what happens next! kind of book, this is for you.