The banning of books has become the new “Oprah Effect.” As governments and other organizations try to crack down on the spread of material they find offensive, the popularity of those works rises when they are labeled “deviant.” Today, books continue to be challenged or banned in the United...
There’s more reasons to miss Borders in the United States- their willingness to stand up for their employees and their dedication to the freedom to read. The manager of a Borders bookstore in Malaysia has been charged with distributing a book by controversial writer Irshad Manji. A statement by...
If you celebrate and practice your basic human right to free expression, you just might want to avoid Davis County in Utah. The small county, made up of about 15 cities, has a population of about 285,000 and the dubious distinction of engaging in book banning throughout the years....
The world of literature lost a legend this week when Ray Bradbury passed away. His visions of futuristic worlds set to a backdrop of present-day social commentary has inspired and enthralled readers for decades in classics such as The Illustrated Man, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Fahrenheit 451....
My heart fell into the well of my soul today to learn that the icon himself, Ray Bradbury, has died. He left this world for new adventures when, at the age of 91, he died this morning in Los Angeles. Word came via his family, and from his biographer, Sam...
In a whimsical, engaging way, the daily lives of all kinds of families are depicted, celebrating their differences and their similarities; and supporting acceptance of them all. The joyful art features both human and animal characters- such as pigs portraying both clean and dirty families. Some families include stepmoms,...
Haunted houses have been the stuff of local legend for generations; often these stories are exploited by Hollywood. Sometimes, though, there’s nothing fun about the experience, as the thought of sharing a home with an unexpected guest is no laughing matter. Josue Chinchilla and Michele Callan, of Toms River,...
The Tennessee legislature recently passed a bill stating that teachers cannot encourage “gateway sexual activity,” as part of the state’s abstinence-based sexual education movement. Seizing the opportunity implied by the new law, officials in Sumner County last week banned John Green’s Young Adult novel “Looking for Alaska” from the...
Some call it fan fiction, while others call it “mommy porn;” but the fact is that whatever you call it, Fifty Shades of Grey, a New York Times #1 bestselling novel by E. L. James, has become an international hit. The trilogy was originally conceived as fan fiction based on characters from...
Hello and a Blessed Beltaine to everyone! Well, here it is, the first day of a new month, and that means another issue of pagan Pages magazine and your favorite paranormal research column, Across the Great Divide, by R. Wolf Baldassarro! What’s on tap for this month? Last time...