Banned Books Week: What Does Censorship Really Mean?
This year’s Banned Books Week started Sunday September 27th. In previous years, many of my colleagues at Narrative Muse have heard me say, with much enthusiasm, that this is my favorite minor holiday!
I have always been fascinated by the idea of those in power censoring art, which consistently backfires, fueling yet more cultural revolutions. Some of my favorite books and movies focus on this concept such as Lois Lowry’s The Giver and the movie Equilibrium.
However, the idea of “censorship” has taken a fascinating twist in U.S. dialogue in the last few years, and I’d imagine in many other countries that are finding themselves struggling with the fascist creep (the U.K. comes to mind). Many things are now being labeled “censorship” that don’t fit the historical definition, like Facebook removing dangerous propaganda from their platform in the midst of a pandemic, or colleges declining to give certain speakers a platform on their campus because of harmful ideology.
As many of us continue to awaken to the fact that the white patriarchy has long been our “default” source when it comes to books, movies, curriculum, etc — we are making concentrated efforts to read more women, read more gender diverse folks, read more Black and brown and POC authors, listen to non-western voices, and listen to the important stories and experiences of those outside the European literary “canon.”
Many of us are also wary of the aforementioned fascist creep, and are attempting to hold public figures accountable for their behavior.
Actions and words have consequences, right?
A great example of this attempt regards (content warning) J.K. Rowling, whose delightful Harry Potter (HP) books were regularly banned from school and church libraries in their early days of publication, largely due to a “satanic panic”-type fear about turning young readers to witchcraft.
This obviously didn’t work: kids all over the globe fell in love with the HP books and built a loving, inclusive community based on her characters.
However, because of her very public insistence on harmful, anti-science rhetoric against trans people, a huge portion of her community (and the LGBTQIA+ community at large) have made the decision to cut her out of their lives and distance themselves from the harm. For some that means unfollowing and blocking her on Twitter. For others, it means no more financial support of the HP empire, and only buying fan-made merch and engaging in fanfiction. For others, it means no more engagement with HP at all, getting rid of the books, and making a clean break.
Many refer to disengaging actions like this as “cancel culture,” currently a very popular term that’s applied quite broadly, both to celebrities and normal folks alike who fall out of favor with the public eye. Sadly, I’ve also heard the term “censorship” applied here too, which I think is an absolutely tragic misapplication of the word, and I’m honestly pretty worried about this trend. Surely we see important differences between a church or library keeping books out of the hands of children because it “might turn them into witches,” and a consumer making the informed decision to stop engaging with the work of an author whose behavior and rhetoric has become dangerous and harmful. Right?
When I was tutoring a small group of girls in their senior high school level literature class, we talked about the idea of censorship. The example I used was an article arguing for censorship of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye because its content was supposedly “pornographic,” which is patently false.
I explained to the girls that censorship could be enacted in three main ways.
- Censorship for children. When little ones are still developing, every society must grapple with how to handle art that is made for adults that children are not yet ready to engage with. The parameters differ between country and culture, but it’s done with a spirit of “not yet” rather than not “not ever.”
- Self-censorship. I know my boundaries; I know what I can handle and what I can’t. I know what my values are, and what I want to stay far away from. At the time of my class, I mostly described this to my students as a personal decision, but I tend to think it also applies to private platforms and organizations as their leadership decides what materials and people to give a voice and platform, to an extent.
- The censorship of others. Any efforts attempting to prevent adults who are not you, from consuming art that you yourself dislike and find objectionable.
Of course nothing can be simple, right? Perhaps some situations seem to straddle two or even all three categories. And once you bring in external factors (like laws regarding public conduct, laws regarding child endangerment, or the muddy waters of “social media” which feel like public forums but are platforms run and operated privately) things get even less simple.
All this to say, I guess I’m heading into Banned Books Week in a more sober and complicated headspace than in previous years. I’m grateful for the ability to read anything I choose to. I reject censorship from the state or the church that tells me I can’t read something I want to read.
But I’m also grateful to have the power to reject and say “no, not for me” about the many harmful books and harmful figures who keep trying to maintain power and influence without facing consequences. My money, time and attention are powerful resources, and I am thrilled to spend those resources on worthy, freedom-fighting pieces of art. I hope to spend less and less of it every day on things that reinforce status quo, harm, or dehumanize.
I choose to call that “wisdom” — not “censorship.”
Happy Banned Books Week!
Here are a few frequently banned and challenged books contained within the Narrative Muse Matchmaker:
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Saga by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Want more recommendations like these? Join the representation revolution at narrativemuse.co to discover new stories and support underrepresented creators.
