I'm a few days late, but Banned Books Week is currently rolling along. This is an ongoing event, but September 26nd until October 3rd truly stresses the need for all books, no matter what the content, to be available to everyone. Yes, there are thousands of books that contain "questionable material." If your personal tastes do not run down these paths, that's perfectly acceptable. However, these titles need to be out in the open in the interest of intelligence, learning, and open discussions.
Quite a few of the arguments deal with banning books in order to shield certain subjects from children. Some people may say I'm living in a fantasy world, but there should be no problem with certain subjects (sex, race, and drugs are the main ones) fostering healthy discussions. There's a whole world out there, especially literary, that can spark communication and learning. If you'd like a purely political argument, banning books goes against the First Amendment.
So read. Discuss. Celebrate the written word. I've included the Banned Books Week webpage link above. Here are two books that I've written essays on that very well may fall into the "challenged category:"
Henry Miller's Tropic Of Cancer
Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian
If you have a blog or a website, please share the Banned Books link and spread the word!
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