Banned Books

Sex! Sorcery! Race! Language! Gender! Crystal Balls!

A former editor of the Los Angeles Times once said, "Censorship is the strongest drive in human nature; sex is a weak second." And censorship is often something we discuss within the setting of the university, arguing passionately about freedom of expression and interpretation. However, often lost among the arguments concerning music, movie ratings, and video game violence is the fact that each year, over 6,364 books that many of us grew up with are being challenged and banned by school boards, religious groups, and concerned parents across the nation.

This class will explore the rhetoric of banning books - the historical and social context, the voices behind the challenges, and the role the university plays in banning as well. It's important to consider that books are often challenged with the best of intentions AND that books are often depicted as the most dangerous of weapons. How does a challenged text like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets embody both of these ideas?

The books we assign will serve as either your actual subject matter or "prompts" to aid you in writing. Authors will include Kate Chopin, Alice Walker, J.K. Rowling, Judy Blume, and Toni Morrison - all female authors, so gender and feminist rhetorical theory will play a large role in our discussions . For this class you are required to write two to three formal essays, participate in group projects, help lead class discussion, and maintain a reading journal. Active participation, daily readings and writing will be required.

Texts:
The Awakening
The Color Purple
Harry Potter
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret
Song of Solomon
Various assigned readings on e-reserves