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@Sherman_Alexie, authors, banned books, Boise Idaho, books, censorship, reading, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The Cabin: A Literary Center for Idaho
As a reader of books nothing outrages me more than being told that I am not allowed to read a certain book. Censorship, thought-control, and book banning is older than Christ. Ironically, in today’s book marketing world, the more institutions that ban a particular book, the greater the blessing for the author. Take Sherman Alexie for example. Alexie’s book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a novel about a teenage boy growing up on the rez—something Alexie has first-hand knowledge of. The book has been banned in several communities around the country—a move that delights Alexie’s pocketbook.
Alexie is an Idaho native nephew—a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian, raised on the Washington state Wellpinit Reservation just across the border with Idaho. His work has been lauded by a PEN/Hemingway Award, Readers Digest Writers’ Award, Granta’s Best of Young American Novelists award, National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, among a long string of other praise. But he is no stranger to the crazy world of banned books. The vote by the Meridian, Idaho school board to ban The Absolutely True Diary from all school district libraries and curriculum in 2014 touched off a firestorm of debate that echoed across the country and even rang up a headline across the pond in The Guardian.
“A tiny minority of parents are controlling what is to be taught . . . parents who have forgotten what brought them joy when they were teenagers,” Alexie commented as he entertained a sell-out crowd at The Cabin’s Readings & Conversations series in Boise. He applauded the courage and strategy employed by Mountain View High School student, Brady Kissel in defending the book and arranging to have free copies handed out in a local park. He asked Brady to stand and receive acknowledgement from the audience.
It’s ok, Alexie assured his squirming audience, Boise is a tiny pond of bleeding heart liberals cast adrift in a state of red-neck Republicans. Then, in his self-deprecating manner, he puzzled at the irony that there is no more red-neck enclave than reservation Indians.
Storytelling seeps from Alexie’s pores and shows up in the form of poetry, film, lectures, and stand-up comedy. For over two hours Alexie wandered the stage and enthralled the crowd sans notes with acerbic wit and unflinching honesty about topics ranging from gay penguin parents raising foster babies in the Bronx Zoo to the faux exoticism of his brown skin and heritage.
So banning Alexie’s books, or anyone’s books, does no harm to the author. Quite the contrary, “Go ahead and ban my books!” Alexie declares as he smiles all the way to the bank.
Rangewriter 
amazing. It’s a wonderful coming of age book, sort of a rez version of Catcher in the Rye. Suspect that too is banned in Meridian. I’ve gotten a lot of joy From Sherman’s work, seems he does as well.
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He is really fun to listen to. I think he has matured a lot since his early successes. I seem to remember hearing him speak here before and he was rather bristly. Now, he is unswervingly honest and sharp-witted, but he’s lost the bristle. I think that comes from accepting oneself, understanding ones place in the larger community and coming to terms with previous hurts. I sometimes listen to his podcast, A Tiny Sense of Accomplishment.
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Linda, I am with you on your feelings toward book banning as well as the impact it will actually have. I recall parents on incoming UNC students getting riled up over “Nickeled and Dimed in America” by Barbara Ehrenreich. They reacted to the anti-exceptionalist theme, but it should be required reading as it shows the value of getting an education or a skill. Many thanks, BTG
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Ban it and they will come. I’m glad my mother would never condone the banning of anything. She might harumph over materials she thought weren’t intellectually valuable, but she would never interfere with what was being taught. The cool thing is, normal kids react against that which their parents are most worried about. Hehe.
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Your mother is a wise person. This “banning marketing strategy” is a highly effective. Any time a provocative movie about the bible comes out, the studio “winds up the naysayers” and lets them do the work for the studio. Boise sounds a lot like Austin.
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Even here in Canada I see these right-leaning tendencies as we become more fearful of the “other”.
I had no idea that Boise was a left-leaning enclave. That must get tough in such a right wing state.
Hang in there girl.
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I fear that America infects the world. We’ve fattened the Chinese with McDonald’s franchises and we’ve scattered seeds of fear to every nation on the globe.
The state of Idaho is woefully right-wing Republican. Boise, being the state Capital and a college town, has the largest share of Democrats &/or liberals. We find each other and cling together like survivors on a life raft. There’s a popular bumper sticker that shows an outline of the state, colored red, with blue text: “I’m a blue girl in a red state.” (blue of course signifying Democrat/Red Republican.) We are still a woeful minority.
Thanks for the encouragement, Sybil. It’s toughest right after a major election.
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Great post!
I haven’t been active here at all for years! And I decided to do it today because listening to a podcast yesterday I thought about you. About some things you commented on one of my posts and I wanted to share it with you, in case you haven’t heard it yet =)
This might sound as if I was selling something, but anyway… So, the author is Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and the podcast is called “Food for thought”. It is called “Honoring the animals we eat – just like the Native Americans” (here you have the link: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=Honoring%20the%20animals%20we%20eat%20-%20just%20like%20the%20Native%20Americans). I think you might like “The favors we do animals”, too (link: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=The%20favors%20we%20do%20animals%20colleen).
If you listen to them, I would love to read what you have to say about it! =D
Keep up the good work and I hope you are doing well!
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Hi Maria. It is so nice to hear from you. I have missed your blog. Thanks for sharing Goudreau’s podcasts with me. I feel honored that you would think to go out of your way to do this for me. I found them . . . interesting. I share some, but not all of her concerns. I believe we must all do and behave as our conscience directs, and I respect people who explore all facets of their belief systems as I know you do. Thanks again, for sharing your ideas and philosophy with me.
BTW, I found it quite ludicrous that anyone in the world might assume that we are doing cows “a favor” by milking them. I have known since I couldn’t even see the top of the kitchen counter, why cows had milk and that they were separated from their calves soon after giving birth so that we could glug down their prodigious (prodigious because of selective breeding) milk supply. And I do know that there are really egregious things going on in the animal products industry, which is why I try not to support the industry itself, and choose to pay a much higher price by buying as much of my food from local people whom I know and whom I know run good, healthy operations. I am lucky to live in a part of the world where this luxury is possible.
I wish you well, and hope your life is going as you hope for it to. Blessings.
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Thanks for the post. I am not familiar with this book but familiar with other instances of banned books. I share your opinions. Thanks for including the clip, he is indeed launghing all the way to the bank.
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Yeah, just tell someone what they can’t or shouldn’t have and that’s exactly what they want. Thanks for stopping by.
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There is nothing more likely to make me read a book than being told I cannot.
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I wouldn’t be surprised to find authors of the future, analyzing the key words that touch off censorship ire and purposely adding them to their books just to get the banned tag and stimulate interest!
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Hi Linda & thx for this post. I’m definitely a supporter of free speech and any kind of literature, providing it is not hateful and does not promote violence to others. Sometimes … there can be a pretty thin line between those contingencies. Our government in Canada has been emulating the Big Brother approach, and for the most part, I am resentful of their interference. but then … when we learn that one of the most prominent and popular broadcasters and authors in Canada has been charged with several counts of sexual abuse and even choking, we wonder if sometimes there is a necessity to “protect the public.”
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Doreen, thanks for bringing a fresh perspective to the discussion.
I am not familiar with Canada’s approach to these issues. I’m really unaware of the broadcaster scandal which you mention. But even in that case, is the answer to censor the creep or to lock him up where he can do no damage? In the US, even prisoners have a right to speak their mind. But, as you point out, it’s their actions that must be thwarted.
Studying the ramifications of censorship can illicit some pretty strong fears on all sides. I certainly don’t like having to endure a pro gun rights advocate yelling at me from a street corner. But the person has a right to free expression. I don’t have to listen.
Book censorship is even more troubling. If we allow any censorship, we must agree on who is to make the judgements and what the parameters will be. Shall we allow censorship of books that discuss mass murder (religious fanaticism)? How about euthanasia or suicide? How about eating disorders, (which are a form of slow suicide and highly prevalent in teen culture). I’m uncomfortable with allowing any person or group of people to pass judgement on written words. I see controlling words as the first step toward thought control. Alexie’s award winning book uses profanity and discusses masturbation. One can not walk through a movie theater lobby without hearing young kids spouting profanity. Alexie was writing from the heart about the painful process of coming of age. That is why his book connects so well with teen readers. I don’t believe that a handful of parents who feel the need to protect their kids from the real world, should be making decisions about what other people’s kids may be exposed to.
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