Antidisestablishmentarianism:* BBW Post #5

A new friend of mine, the YA author James Klise, was recently “disinvited” to a Skype visit at a middle school. He had been asked to speak about censorship to a group of eighth graders during Banned Books Week, but a few days later the school canceled his visit due to the subject matter of his book, Love Drugged. The book is about a gay teen who is given a drug to reverse his sexual preferences.

Jim wrote an article about his experience for the Chicago Tribune. (You may have to register to read it. It just takes a minute, and it’s free.)

Now, before you start tsk-tsking about the dreadful irony of an author being “banned” from speaking at a Banned Books Week event, let me say that the way this story played out made me feel pretty good, both about Jim and about the librarian with whom he was dealing. Jim is himself a librarian, specializing in children’s literature, and he understands the pressures under which school librarians work.

Being a school librarian ain’t easy. Librarians have to choose their battles carefully. They have limited funds, limited space, limited time, and limited clout. They must provide a selection of books that fairly and broadly represents both student tastes and academic imperatives, while at the same time not getting fired, lynched, or otherwise disempowered. I couldn’t hack it, but I am grateful that there are those who can.

Two years ago I wrote about another disinvited YA author—a case in which the matter was resolved messily and tragically. It still makes me somewhat ill to think about it. So I was relieved to see that the librarian with whom James Klise was dealing was not pilloried, and I was delighted that Jim did not fly into a frothing-at-the-mouth public rage, as I might have. His article was well-reasoned, balanced, and achingly poignant.

It’s reassuring, particularly during these months of political rancor, to witness a civilized discourse. In the universe of censorship-related conflicts, this is a small thing. But the fact is, people have been hurt. Jim is hurting as an author, and as a human being—nobody likes rejection. The librarian is embarrassed and no doubt feeling impotent in the face of conservative factions of her community (she has since added the book to her collection). And a group of students has been deprived of the opportunity to interact with a smart, talented, knowledgeable author.

*For the record, this is my first ever legitimate use of the word antidisestablishmentarianism, the longest word I know how to spell.

Celebrate Banned Books Week by reading a book that makes you apoplectic.