Aristotle’s Compleat Master-Piece had been banned in the United Kingdom for 200 years and it’s about to go under the hammer yet again- the auction hammer, that is. An edition printed circa 1766 is expected to draw more than $645 at the Edinburgh auction house Lyon and Turnbull on January...
Well here we are at the beginning of another new year- a time for fresh starts, new hopes, and the promise of endless possibilities; a time to look ahead to a brighter, smarter future. The only problem is that not everyone got the memo: This is the year 2013-...
Censors and book burners are not relegated to the borders of the United States; neither is the torch of enlightenment, as it spreads across the globe amid several recent events centered on banned books. Read on and Share the Knowledge: http://bbark.deepforestproductions.com/column/2012/12/16/banned-books-awareness-the-freedom-to-read-is-a-global-issue/
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, is an autobiographical memoir of Walls’ and her siblings’ unconventional and poverty-stricken upbringing at the hands of deeply dysfunctional parents. The book, published in 2005, pulls on the heartstrings of readers with its resonating and poignant topics; but the parents of a student...
The drama department at Los Medanos College began a production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” on November 8th and their student newspaper, the LMC Experience, interviewed the director about the inspiration behind the project, including how it was a banned book. The interview mentioned my name...
Love them or hate them, Apple Inc. has received some heavy criticism in recent years for some pretty controversial issues including the alleged use of sweatshop labor, environmental destruction, and unethical business practices. It has been criticized by legal and business analysts for its hot-tempered legal policy of suing its...
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is considered one of the “Great American Novels” and a literary classic- the Modern Library, for example, ranks it as the second best English-language novel of the 20th Century. However, as one might expect, this literary cornerstone is also a commonly challenged book,...
’Twas the night before Christmas and someone stole Santa’s pipe. Yes, folks- yet another beloved tale from childhood has become the latest victim of the red pen of politically correct censorship as tradition and historical accuracy fall to ignorance and arrogance. The 18th-century poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas”-...
Published in 1862 amid a massive advertising campaign and at a time when Hugo was adored as one of France’s foremost poets the release of the novel was a highly anticipated event. Critical reactions were often negative, though, as some critics found the subject matter immoral and others complained...
Katherine Paterson’s Bridge To Terabithia is a 1977 children’s literature classic about two fifth-graders, Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke, who create an imaginary kingdom named Terabithia in the woods where they rule as king and queen and where the only limit is their imaginations. A heartwarming tale of friendship...