(Review) Donald Barthelme's "The Dead Father"

Donald Barthleme is one of those rare authors who can seem to get away with a great deal and still be considered a great. This is the first novel of his that I've read and, while enormously confusing at first, seemed to expand and reveal itself a bit towards the end. He's a tough read, no doubt, and I will probably dig into some of his short stories later this year after I've played catch-up with some Millhauser (whose writing I've been told I will enjoy immensely). For the moment, however, I'm done reading Barthelme (almost done with "Snow White," so not entirely true). He requires a serious concentration for what is a very whimsical and often lackadaisical-feeling style.

"The Dead Father" - 177 pgs

The premise from the back of the book:

"Nineteen people are dragging, by means of a cable, an immense carcass through the countryside. The carcass is that of the Dead Father, a half-dead, half-alive, part-mechanical, wise, vain, powerful being who still has hopes to himself, although he is, effectively, dead. Thomas, Julie, Edmund, Emma, and the others variously insult, placate, cater to, and defend the Dead Father as the procession moves through the country of the Wends, the territory of the Great Father Serpent, and a variety of encounters and explorations toward its mysterious goal."

I finally started enjoying this book once I got to page 110, where the people find a book called "A Manual for Sons" because I think it was then that I understood what the book was about (maybe). Up to this point, I had read passage after passage of often nonsensical or plotless conversations between many of the characters. The book, now that I have a handle on it, may require a rereading at a later date, but it appears to be less a story about crazy nonsense happening in a fictional place so much as it is the story of how family breaks apart and deals with the (slow) death of the patriarch, who is rendered as a huge stone giant being dragged by the other characters (the rest of the family). I could be completely off-base with this as I haven't done any outside research on the book, but had I understood this at the beginning of the book, I don't believe it would have felt like such a plodding bit of text for the first 100+ pages. A small, very representative, sample of what the dialogue looked like:

"Have you tried any of the others?
I just see whether they're friendly or unfriendly.
A week later she applied for a post in Warsaw.
As a wet nurse.
Yes, as a wet nurse. She was accepted.
They like to suck.
They do like to suck.
Worn out your welcome.
Getting very fond of you and your hands.
That's my business.
He's not bad-looking.
It's no mystery.
Why hasn't anyone had the simple decency?
It's perfectly obvious.
Probably we should have spoken up before this.That's one way of looking at it.
Unable to take him seriously at any level.
Where can a body get a spritz around here?
That's my business.
If I pull this little white string, will you explode?"

Seriously. There's 150 pages of this kind of dialogue going on. No character markers, no real idea who is speaking to whom - it's frustrating, but Barthelme somehow, with his inclusion of the "Manual for Sons" right in the middle of the book, showed me what he was shooting for. It took a lot of time to get there (and there's an argument to made for placing it sooner within the text), but when I approached the last third of the novel from a true familial aspect, I was greatly rewarded. What I then pictured was not a group of random people pulling a statue through a landscape (a fantastic metaphorical image), but rather a family carrying this huge burden of how to deal with an aging father, one who is so close to death that the conversations about his death become conversations past each other rather than with each other.

By small increments, the characters relieve the Dead Father of all his belongings; his sword, his passport, everything. They lighten his load so that he can focus instead on the act of dying while they continue to carry his things long after his death. When he is finally lowered down into the gargantuan hole in the ground, Julie holds his hand as the bulldozers come in to cover him up with dirt. An inevitable ending for a truly bizarre novel that got stronger the longer I read it.



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Banned Books Week, Pt. 2 (The Reasons)

I just stumbled across this link during my lunch break and found it pretty interesting. The ALA has compiled a list of banned books and reasons they've been banned over the years. Enjoy the hilarity.

Banned Book Reasons

See also Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century from the ALA Public Information Office (PIO). For more information on the reasons why these books and others were banned or challenged, contact OIF at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4223.

 

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Challenged at the Baptist College in Charleston, SC (1987) because of "language and sexual references in the book."

 

The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger

Since its publication, this title has been a favorite target of censors. In 1960, a teacher in Tulsa, Okla. was fired for assigning the book to an eleventh grade English class.The teacher appealed and was reinstated by the school board, but the book was removed from use in the school. In 1963, a delegation of parents of high school students in Columbus, Ohio, asked the school board to ban the novel for being "anti white" and "obscene." The school board refused the request. Removed from the Selinsgrove, Pa. suggested reading list (1975). Based on parents' objections to the language and content of the book, the school board voted 5 4 to ban the book.The book was later reinstated in the curriculum when the board learned that the vote was illegal because they needed a two thirds vote for removal of the text. Challenged as an assignment in an American literature class in Pittsgrove, NJ. (1977). After months of controversy, the board ruled that the novel could be read in the advanced placement class, but they gave parents the right to decide whether or not their children would read it. Removed from the Issaquah,Wash. Optional High School reading list (1978). Removed from the required reading list in Middleville, Mich. (1979). Removed from the Jackson Milton school libraries in North Jackson, Ohio (1980). Removed from two Anniston, Ala. high school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis. Removed from the school libraries in Morris, Manitoba (1982) along with two other books because they violate the committee's guidelines covering "excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult:" Challenged at the Libby, Mont. High School (1983) due to the "book's contents:" Challenged, but retained for use in select English classes at New Richmond, Wis. (1994). Banned from English classes at the Freeport High School in De Funiak Springs, Fla. (1985) because it is "unacceptable" and "obscene." Removed from the required reading list of a Medicine Bow, Wyo. Senior High School English class (1986) because of sexual references and profanity in the book. Banned from a required sophomore English reading list at the Napoleon, N.Dak. High School (1987) after parents and the local Knights of Columbus chapter complained about its profanity and sexual references. Challenged at the Linton Stockton, Ind. High School (1988) because the book is "blasphemous and undermines morality." Banned from the classrooms in Boron, Calif High School (1989) because the book contains profanity. Challenged at the GraysIaKe, III. Community High School (1991). Challenged at the Jamaica High School in Sidell, III. (1992) because the book container profanities and depicted premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution. Challenged in the Waterloo, Iowa schools (1992) and Duval County, Fla. public school libraries (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled. 'Challenged at the Cumberland Valley Nigh School in Carlisle, Pa. (1992) because of a parent's objections that it contains profanity and is immoral. Challenged, but retained, at the New Richmond, Wis. High School (1994) for use in some English classes. Challenged as required reading in the Corona Norco, Calif. Unified School District (1993) because it is "centered around negative activity. "The book was retained and teachers selected alternatives if students object to Salinger's novel. Challenged as mandatory reading in the Goffstown, N.H. schools (1994) because of the vulgar words used and the sexual exploits experienced in the book. Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, Fla. (1995). Challenged at the Oxford Hills High School in Paris, Maine (1996). A parent objected to the use of the 'F' word:' Challenged, but retained, at the Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, Ga. (1997). A student objected to the novel's profanity and sexual references. Removed because of profanity and sexual situations from the required reading curriculum of the Marysville, Calif Joint Unified School District (1997). The school superintendent removed it to get it "out of the way so that we didn't have that polarization over a book." Challenged, but retained on the shelves of Limestone County, Ala. school district (2000) despite objections about the book's foul language. Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, Ga. (2000). The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complained about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was part of an advanced placement English class. Removed by a Dorchester District 2 school board member in Summerville, SC (2001) because it "is a filthy, filthy book." Challenged by a Glynn County, Ga. (2001) school board member because of profanity. The novel was retained. Source: "100 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature," By Nicholas Karolides. pp. 366 68; Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, Nov. 1978, p. 138; Jan. 1980, pp. 6 7; May 1980, p. 5 I ; Mar. 1983, pp. 37 38; July 1983, p. 122; July 1985, p. I 13; Mar. 1987, p. 55; July 1988, p. 123; Jan. 1988, p. 10; Sept. 1988, p. 177; Nov. 1989, pp. 218 19; July 1991, pp. 129 30; May 1992, p. 83;July I 992, pp. I 05, I 26; Jan. I 993, p. 29; Jan. I 994, p. 14, Mar. 1994, pp. 56, 70; May 1994, p. 100; Jan. I 995, p. I 2; Jan. I 996, p. I 4; Nov. I 996, p. 212; May 1997, p. 78; July 1997, p. 96; May 2000, P. 91; July 2000, p. 123; Mar. 2001, p. 76; Nov. 2001, pp. 246-47, 277-78.

 

The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

Burned by the East St. Louis, III. Public Library (1939) and barred from the Buffalo, N.Y Public Library (1939) on the grounds that "vulgar words" were used. Banned in Kansas City, Mo. (1939); Kern County Calif, the scene of Steinbeck's novel, (1939); Ireland ( 1953); Kanawha, Iowa High School classes (1980); and Morris, Manitoba (1982). On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month's and six months' imprisonment "for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state" and the confiscation of their books. Eight booksellers were also on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving the Gropes of Wroth. Challenged in Vernon Verona Sherill, N.Y School District ( I 980); challenged as required reading for Richford,Vt. (1981) High School English students due to the book's language and portrayal of a former minister who recounts how he took advantage of a young woman. Removed from two Anniston, Ala. high school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis. Challenged at the Cummings High School in Burlington, N.C. (1986) as an optional reading assignment because the "book is full of filth. My son is being raised in a Christian home and this book takes the Lord's name in vain and has all kinds of profanity in it." Although the parent spoke to the press, a formal complaint with the school demanding the book's removal was not filed. Challenged at the Moore County school system in Carthage, N.C. (I 986) because the book contains the phase "God damn:" Challenged in the Greenville, S.C. schools (199 I) because the book uses the name of God and Jesus in a "vain and profane manner along with inappropriate sexual references." Challenged in the Union City Tenn. High School classes (1993). Source: 2000 BBW Resource Guide.

 

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Challenged in Eden Valley, Minn. (1977) and temporarily banned due to words "damn" and "whore lady" used in the novel. Challenged in the Vernon Verona Sherill, N.Y School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy novel:" Challenged at the Warren, Ind.Township schools (1981) because the book does "psychological damage to the positive integration process " and "represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature:" After unsuccessfully banning Lee's novel, three black parents resigned from the township human relations advisory council. Challenged in the Waukegan, III. School District (1984) because the novel uses the word "nigger." Challenged in the Kansas City, Mo. junior high schools (1985). Challenged at the Park Hill, Mo. Junior High School (1985) because the novel "contains profanity and racial slurs:" Retained on a supplemental eighth grade reading list in the Casa Grande, Ariz. Elementary School District (1985), despite the protests by black parents and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who charged the book was unfit for junior high use. Challenged at the Santa Cruz, Calif. Schools (1995) because of its racial themes. Removed from the Southwood High School Library in Caddo Parish, La. (1995) because the book's language and content were objectionable. Challenged at the Moss Point, Miss. School District (1996) because the novel contains a racial epithet. Banned from the Lindale,Tex. advanced placement English reading list (1996) because the book "conflicted with the values of the community." Challenged by a Glynn County, Ga. (2001) school board member because of profanity. The novel was retained. Returned to the freshman reading list at Muskogee, Okla. High School (2001) despite complaints over the years from black students and parents about racial slurs in the text. Challenged in the Normal, ILL Community High Schools sophomore literature class (2003) as being degrading to African Americans. Challenged at the Stanford Middle School in Durham, N.C. (2004) because the 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel uses the word "nigger." Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide.

 

The Color Purple, Alice Walker

Challenged as appropriate reading for Oakland, Calif. High School honors class (1984) due to the work's "sexual and social explicitness" and its "troubling ideas about race relations, man's relationship to God, African history and human sexuality." After nine months of haggling and delays, a divided Oakland Board of Education gave formal approval for the book's use. Rejected for purchase by the Hayward, Calif. schools trustee (1985) because of "rough language" and "explicit sex scenes." Removed from the open shelves of the Newport News, Va. school library (1986) because of its "profanity and sexual references" and placed in a special section accessible only to students over the age of 18 or who have written permission from a parent. Challenged at the public libraries of Saginaw, Mich. (1989) because of its language and "explicitness." Challenged as an optional reading assigned in Ten Sleep, Wyo. schools (1990). Challenged as a reading assignment at the New Burn, N.C. High School (1992) because the main character is raped by her stepfather. Banned in the Souderton, Pa. Area School District (1992) as appropriate reading for 10th graders because it is "smut." Challenged on the curricular reading list at Pomperaug High School in Southbury, Conn. (1995) because sexually explicit passages are appropriate high school reading. Retained as an English course reading assignment in the Junction City, Oreg. high school (1995) after a challenge to Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel caused months of controversy. Although an alternative assignment was available, the book was challenged due to "inappropriate language, graphic sexual scenes, and book's negative image of black men." Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, Fla. (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, Tex. Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged, but retained, as part of the reading list for Advanced Placement English classes at Northwest High Schools in High Point, N.C. (1996). The book was challenged because it is "sexually graphic and violent." Removed from the Jackson County, W. Va. school libraries (1997) along with sixteen other titles. Challenged, but retained as part of a supplemental reading list at the Shawnee School in Lima, Ohio (1999). Several parents described its content as vulgar and "X-rated." Removed from the Ferguson High School library in Newport News, Va. (1999). Students may request and borrow the book with parental approval. Challenged, along with seventeen other titles in the Fairfax County, VA elementary and secondary libraries (2002), by a group called Parents Against Bad Books in Schools. The group contends the books "contain profanity and descriptions of drug abuse, sexually explicit conduct, and torture. Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide, by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Ulysses, James Joyce

Burned in the U.S. (1918), Ireland (1922), Canada (1922), England (1923) and banned in England (1929). Source: 3, p. 66; 5, pp. 328-30; 10, Vol. III, pp. 411-12; 557-58, 645.

 

Beloved, Toni Morrison

Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, Texas Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged by a member of the Madawaska, Maine School Committee (1997) because of the book's language. The 1987 Pulitzer Prize winning novel has been required reading for the advanced placement English class for six years. Challenged in the Sarasota County, Florida schools (1998) because of sexual material. Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. Jan. 1996, p. 14; May 1996, p. 99; Han. 1998, p. 14; July 1998, p. 120.

 

The Lord of the Flies, William Golding

Challenged at the Dallas, TX. Independent School District high school libraries (1974); challenged at the Sully Buttes, S. Dak. High School (1981); challenged at the Owen, N.C. High School (1981) because the book is "demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal"; challenged at the Marana, Ariz. High School (1983) as an inappropriate reading assignment. Challenged at the Olney, Tex. Independent School District (1984) because of "excessive violence and bad language." A committee of the Toronto, Canada Board of Education ruled on June 23, 1988, that the novel is "racist and recommended that it be removed from all schools." Parents and members of the black community complained about a reference to "niggers" in the book and said it denigrates blacks. Challenged in the Waterloo, Iowa schools (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women and the disabled. Challenged, but retained on the ninth-grade accelerated English reading list in Bloomfield, N.Y. (2000). From Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom: an. 1975, p. 6; July, 1981, p. 103; Jan. 1982, p. 17; Jan, 1984, p. 25-26; July 1984, p. 122; Sept. 1988, p. 152; July 1992, p. 126; Mar. 2000, p. 64.

 

1984, George Orwell

Challenged in the Jackson County, FL (1981) because Orwell's novel is "pro-communist and contained explicit sexual matter." Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Lolita, Vladmir Nabokov

Banned as obscene in France (1956-1959), in England (1955-59), in Argentina (1959), and in New Zealand (1960). The South African Directorate of Publications announced on November 27, 1982, that Lolita has been taken off the banned list, eight years after a request for permission to market the novel in paperback has been refused.

 

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

Banned in Ireland (1953); Syracuse, Ind. (1974); Oil City, Pa. (I 977); Grand Blanc, Mich. (1979); Continental, Ohio (1980) and other communities. Challenged in Greenville, S.C. (1977) by the Fourth Province of the Knights of the Ku Klux KIan;VernonVerona Sherill, N.Y School District (1980); St. David, Ariz. (1981) and Tell City, Ind. (1982) due to "profanity and using God's name in vain:" Banned from classroom use at the Scottsboro, Ala. Skyline High School (1983) due to "profanity." The Knoxville, Tenn. School Board chairman vowed to have "filthy books" removed from Knoxville's public schools (1984) and picked Steinbeck's novel as the first target due to "its vulgar language:" Reinstated at the Christian County, Ky. school libraries and English classes (1987) after being challenged as vulgar and offensive. Challenged in the Marion County, WVa. schools (1988), at the Wheaton Warrenville, III. Middle School (1988), and at the Berrien Springs, Mich. High School (1988) because the book contains profanity. Removed from the Northside High School in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (1989) because the book "has profane use of God's name." Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga, Tenn. (1989) because "Steinbeck is known to have had an anti business attitude:" In addition, "he was very questionable as to his patriotism:' Removed from all reading lists and collected at the White Chapel High School in Pine Bluff, Ark (1989) because of objections to language. Challenged as appropriate for high school reading lists in the Shelby County, Tenn. school system (1989) because the novel contained "offensive language." Challenged, but retained in a Salinas, Kans. (1990) tenth grade English class despite concerns that it contained "profanity" and "takes the Lord's name in vain." Challenged by a Fresno, Calif (1991) parent as a tenth grade English college preparatory curriculum assignment, citing "profanity" and "racial slurs." The book was retained, and the child of the objecting parent was provided with an alternative reading assignment. Challenged in the Riveria, Tex. schools (1990) because it contains profanity. Challenged as curriculum material at the Ringgold High School in Carroll Township, Pa. (1991) because the novel contains terminology offensive to blacks. Removed and later returned to the Suwannee, Fla. High School library (1991) because the book is "indecent" Challenged at the Jacksboro, Tenn. High School (1991) because the novel contains "blasphemous" language, excessive cursing, and sexual overtones. Challenged as required reading in the Buckingham County, Va. schools (1991) because of profanity. In 1992 a coalition of community members and clergy in Mobile, Ala., requested that local school officials form a special textbook screening committee to "weed out objectionable things:" Steinbeck's novel was the first target because it contained "profanity" and "morbid and depressing themes: 'Temporarily removed from the Hamilton, Ohio High School reading list (1992) after a parent complained about its vulgarity and racial slurs. Challenged in the Waterloo, Iowa schools (1992) and the Duval County, Fla. public school libraries (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled. Challenged at the Modesto, Calif. High School as recommended reading (1992) because of "offensive and racist language." The word "nigger" appears in the book. Challenged at the Oak Hill High School in Alexandria, La. (1992) because of profanity. Challenged as an appropriate English curriculum assignment at the Mingus, Ariz.Union High School (1993) because of "profane language, moral statement, treatment of the retarded, and the violent ending." Pulled from a classroom by Putnam County, Tenn. school superintendent (1994) "due to the language:' Later, after discussions with the school district counsel, it was reinstated. The book was challenged in the Loganville, Ga. High School (1994) because of its "vulgar language throughout" Challenged in the Galena, Kans. school library (1995) because of the book's language and social implications. Retained in the Bemidji, Minn. schools (1995) after challenges to the book's "objectionable" language. Challenged at the Stephens County High School library in Toccoa, Ga. (I 995) because of "curse words: 'The book was retained. Challenged, but retained in a Warm Springs, VA. High School (1995) English class. Banned from the Washington Junior High School curriculum in Peru, III. (1997) because it was deemed "age inappropriate:" Challenged, but retained, in the Louisville, Ohio high school English classes (1997) because of profanity. Removed, restored, restricted, and eventually retained at the Bay County schools in Panama City, Fla. (1997). A citizen group, the 100 Black United, Inc., requested the novel's removal and "any other inadmissible literary books that have racial slurs in them, such as the using of the word 'Nigger: " Challenged as a reading list assignment for a ninth grade literature class, but retained at the Sauk Rapids Rice High School in St. Cloud, Minn. (1997). A parent complained that the book's use of racist language led to racist behavior and racial harassment. Challenged in O'Hara Park Middle School classrooms in Oakley, Calif. (1998) because it contains racial epithets. Challenged, but retained, in the Bryant, Ark. school library (1998) because of a parent's complaint that the book "takes God's name in vain 15 times and uses Jesus's name lightly." Challenged at the Barron, Wis. School District (1998). Challenged, but retained in the sophomore curriculum at West Middlesex, Pa. High School (1999) despite objections to the novel's profanity. Challenged in the Tomah, Wis. School District (1999) because the novel is violent and contains obscenities. Challenged as required reading at the high school in Grandville, Mich. (2002) because the book "is full of racism, profanity, and foul language." Banned from the George County, Miss. schools (2002) because of profanity. Challenged in the Normal, Ill. Community High Schools (2003) because the books contains "racial slurs, profanity, violence, and does not represent traditional values." An alternative book, Steinbeck's The Pearl, was offered but rejected by the family challenging the novel. Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide, by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Catch-22, Joseph Heller

Banned in Strongsville, Ohio (1972), but the school board's action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District. Challenged at the Dallas, Tex. Independent School District high school libraries (1974); in Snoqualmie, Wash. (1979) because of its several references to "whores." 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide, Robert P. Doyle.

 

Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

Banned in Ireland (1932). Removed from classroom in Miller, MO (1980), because it made promiscuous sex "look like fun" and challenged frequently throughout the U.S. Challenged as required reading at the Yukon, Oklahoma High School (1988) because of "the book's language and moral content." Challenged as required reading in the Corona-Norco, California Unified School District (1993) because it is "centered around negative activity." Specifically, parents objected that the characters' sexual behavior directly opposed the health curriculum, which taught sexual abstinence until marriage. The book was retained, and teachers selected alternatives if students object to Huxley's novel. Brave New World was again challenged in Foley, Alabama (2000) because of the depictions of "orgies, self-flogging, suicide" and characters who show "contempt for religion, marriage, and the family." The book was removed from the library, pending review. Source: 2001 Banned Books Resource Guide.

 

The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway

Banned in Boston, MA (1930), Ireland (1953), Riverside, CA (1960). Burned in Nazi bonfires (1933).

 

As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner

Banned in the Graves County School District in Mayfield, KY (1986) because it contained "offensive and obscene passages referring to abortion and used God's name in vain." The decision was reversed a week later after intense pressure from the ACLU and considerable negative publicity. Challenged as a required reading assignment in an advanced English class of Pulaski County High School in Somerset, KY (1987) because the book contains "profanity and a segment about masturbation." Challenged, but retained, in the Carroll County, MD schools (1991). Two school board members were concerned about the book's coarse language and dialect. Banned at Central High School in Louisville, KY (1994) temporarily because the book uses profanity and questions the existence of God. Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway

The June 1929 issue of Scribner's Magazine, which ran Hemingway's novel, was banned in Boston, Mass. (1929). Banned in Italy (1929) because of its painfully accurate account of the Italian retreat from Caporetto, Italy; banned in Ireland (1939); challenges at the Dallas, TX. Independent School District high school libraries (1974); challenges at the Vernon-Verona-Sherill, N.Y. School District (1980) as a "sex novel; burned by the Nazis in Germany (1933). Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad

Their Eyes were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston

Challenged for sexual explicitness, but retained on the Stonewall Jackson High School's academically advanced reading list in Brentsville, VA (1997). A parent objected to the novel's language and sexual explicitness.

 

Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison

Excerpts banned in Butler, PA (1975); removed from the high school English reading list in St. Francis, WI (1975). Retained in the Yakima, WA schools (1994) after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list.

 

Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison

Challenged, but retained, in the Columbus, Ohio schools (1993). The complainant believed that the book contains language degrading to blacks, and is sexually explicit. Removed from required reading lists and library shelves in the Richmond County, GA. School District (1994) after a parent complained that passages from the book were "filthy and inappropriate." Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, Fla. (1995). Removed from the St. Mary's County, Md. schools' approved text list (1998) by the superintendent overruling a faculty committee recommendation. Complainants referred to the novel as "filth," "trash," and "repulsive." Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

Banned from Anaheim, Calif. Union High School District English classrooms (9178) according to the Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association. Challenged in Waukegan, Ill. School District (1984) because the novel uses the word "nigger." Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Native Son, Richard Wright

Challenged in Goffstown, N.H. (1978); Elmwood Park, N.J. (1978) due to "objectionable" language; and North Adams, Mass. (1981) due to the book's "violence, sex, and profanity." Challenged at the Berrian Springs, Mich. High School in classrooms and libraries (1988) because the novel is "vulgar, profane, and sexually explicit." Retained in the Yakima, Wash. schools (1994) after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list. Challenged as part of the reading list for Advanced Placement English classes at Northwest High School in High Point, N.C. (1996). The book was challenged because it is "sexually graphic and violent." Removed from Irvington High School in Fremont, Calif. (1998) after a few parents complained the book was unnecessarily violence and sexually explicit. Challenged in the Hamilton High School curriculum in Fort Wayne, Ind. (1998) because of the novel's graphic language and sexual content.

 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey

Challenged in the Greenley, Colorado public school district (1971) as a non-required American Culture reading. In 1974, five residents of Strongsville, Ohio, sued the board of education to remove the novel. Labeling it "pornographic," they charged the novel "glofiries criminal activity, has a tendency to corrupt juveniles and contains descriptions of bestiality, bizarre violence, and torture, dismemberment, death, and human elimination." Removed from public school libraries in Randolph, NY, and Alton, OK (1975). Removed from the required reading list in Westport, MA (1977). Banned from the St. Anthony, Idaho Freemont High School classrooms (1978) and the instructor fired¾Fogarty v. Atchley. Challenged at the Merrimack, N.H. High School (1982). Challenged as part of the curriculum in an Aberdeen, Washington High School honors English class (1986) because the book promotes "secular humanism." The school board voted to retain the title. Challenged at the Placentia-Yorba Linda, California Unified School District (2000) after complaints by parents stated that teachers "can choose the best books, but they keep choosing this garbage over and over again." Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide, by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut

Challenged in many communities, but burned in Drake, N. Dak (1973). Banned in Rochester, Mich. because the novel "contains and makes references to religious matters" and thus fell within the ban of the establishment clause. An appellate court upheld its usage in the school in Todd v Rochester Community Schools, 41 Mich. App. 320, 200 N. W 2d 90 (I 972). Banned in Levittown, N.Y (1975), North Jackson, Ohio (1979), and Lakeland, Fla. (1982) because of the "book's explicit sexual scenes, violence, and obscene language." Barred from purchase at the Washington Park High School in Racine, Wis. (I 984) by the district administrative assistant for instructional services. Challenged at the Owensboro, Ky. High School library (1985) because of "foul language, a section depicting a picture of an act of bestiality, a reference to 'Magic Fingers' attached to the protagonist's bed to help him sleep, and the sentence: 'The gun made a ripping sound like the opening of the fly of God Almighty."' Restricted to students who have parental permission at the four Racine, Wis. Unified District high school libraries (1986) because of "language used in the book depictions of torture, ethnic slurs, and negative portrayals of women:' Challenged at the LaRue County, Ky. High School library (1987) because "the book contains foul language and promotes deviant sexual behavior' Banned from the Fitzgerald, Ga. schools (I 987) because A was filled with profanity and full of explicit sexual references:' Challenged in the Baton Rouge, La. public high school libraries ( 1988) because the book is "vulgar and offensive:' Challenged in the Monroe, Mich. public schools (I 989) as required reading in a modem novel course for high school juniors and senior because of the book's language and the way women are portrayed. Retained on the Round Rock, Tex. Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged as an eleventh grade summer reading option in Prince William County, Va ( 1998) because the book "was rife with profanity and explicit sex:" Source: 5, pp. I 37 42; 8, Jan. 1974, p. 4; May 1980, p. 5 I ; Sept. 1982, p. 155; Nov. 1982, p. 197; Sept. 1984, p. 158; Jan. 1986, pp. 9 10; Mar. 1986, p. 57; Mar. 1987, p. 5 I ; July 1987, p. 147; Sept. 1987, pp. 174 75; Nov. 1987, p. 224; May 1988, p. 86; July 1988, pp. I 39 40; July 1989, p. 144, May 1996, p. 99; 9, pp. 78 79; Nov. 1998, p. 183.

 

For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway

Scribner. Declared non-mailable by the U.S. Post Office (1940). On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing, and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month's and six month's imprisonment "for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state" and the confiscation of their books. Eight booksellers also were on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving For Whom the Bell Tolls. Source: Haight, Anne Lyon, and Chandler B. Grannis. Banned Books, 387 B.C. to 1978 A.D., 4th ed. New York, N.Y.: Bowker Co., 1978 (p. 80); Index on Censorship. London: Writers and Scholars International, Ltd., published bimonthly, Summer 1973, xii.

 

The Call of the Wild, Jack London

Banned in Italy (1929), Yugoslavia (1929), and burned in Nazi bonfires (1933). Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Go Tell it on the Mountain, James Baldwin

Challenged as required reading in the Hudson Falls, N.Y. schools (1994) because the book has recurring themes of rape, masturbation, violence, and degrading treatment of women. Challenged as a ninth-grade summer reading option in Prince William County, Va. (1988) because the book was "rife with profanity and explicit sex." Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

All the King's Men, Robert Penn Warren

Challenged at the Dallas, Tex. Independent School District high school libraries. Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, Jan. 1975, p. 6-7.

 

The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

Burned in Alamagordo, N. Mex. (2001) outside Christ Community Church along with other Tolkien novels as satanic. Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, Mar. 2002, p. 61.

 

The Jungle, Upton Sinclair

Banned from public libraries in Yugoslavia (1929). Burned in the Nazi bonfires because of Sinclair's socialist views (1933). Banned in East Germany (1956) as inimical to communism. Banned in South Korea (1985). Sources: Banned Books, 387 B.C. to 1978 A.D., 4th edition; Anne Lyon Haight and Chandler B. Grannis. Index on Censorship.

 

Lady Chatterley's Lover, DH Lawrence

A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess

In 1973 a book seller in Orem, Utah, was arrested to selling the novel. Charges were later dropped, but the book seller as forced to close the store and relocate to another city. Removed from Aurora, Colo. high school (1976) due to "objectionable" language and from high school classrooms in Westport, Mass. (1977) because of "objectionable" language. Removed from two Anniston, Ala. High school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restricted basis. Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide, ed. Robert P. Doyle.

 

In Cold Blood, Truman Capote

Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, Ga. (2000). The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complaines about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was aprt of an Advanced Placement English Class. Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie

Banned in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Quatar, Indonesia, South Africa, and India because of its criticism of Islam. Burned in West Yorkshire, England (1989) and temporarily withdrawn from two bookstores on the advice of police who took threats to staff and property seriously. In Pakistan five people died in riots against the book. Another man died a day later in Kashmir. Ayatollah Khomeni issued a fatwa or religions edict, stating, "I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses, which is against Islam, the prophet, and the Koran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, have been sentenced to death."

Challenged at the Wichita, Ks. Public Library (1989) because the book is "blasphemous to the prophet Mohammed." In Venezuela, owning or reading it was declared a crime under penalty of 15 months' imprisonment. In Japan, the sale of the English-language edition was banned under the threat of fines. The governments of Bulgaria and Poland also restricted its distribution. In 1991, in separare inceidents, Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator, was stabbed to death and its Italian translator, Ettore Capriolo, was seriously wounded. In 1993 William Nygaard, its Norwegian publisher, was shot and seriously wounded. Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Sons and Lovers, DH Lawrence

In 1961 an Oklahoma City group called Mothers United for Decency hired a trailer, dubbed it "smutmobile," and displayed books deemed objectionable, including Lawrence's novel. Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Cat's Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut

The Strongsville, Ohio School Board (1972) voted to withdraw this title from the school library; this action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District, 541 F. 2d 577 (6th Cir. 1976). Challenged at Merrimack, NH High School (1982).

 

A Separate Peace, John Knowles

Challenged in Vernon-Verona-Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy sex novel." Challenged at the Fannett-Metal High School in Shippensburg, Pa. (1985) because of its allegedly offensive language. Challenged as appropriate for high school reading lists in the Shelby County, Tenn. school system (1989) because the novel contained "offensive language." Challenged at the McDowell County, N.C. schools (1996) because of "graphic language." Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, May 1980, p. 62; Nov. 1985, p. 204; Jan, 1990, pp 11-12; Jan. 1997, p. 11.

 

Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs

Found obscene in Boston, Mass. Superior Court (1965). The finding was reversed bu the State Supreme Court the following year. Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Women in Love, DH Lawrence

Seized by John Summers of the New York Society for the Suppression of vice and declared obscene (1922). Source: 100 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature. Nicholas Karalides, Margaret Bald, and Dawn B. Sova. pp. 331-32; "Banned in Boston," Randy F. Nelson, in Almanac of American Letters, p. 142; A History of Books Publishing in the United States, John Tebbel, Vol III, p. 415.

 

The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer

Banned in Canada (1949) and Australia (1949). Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller

Banned from U.S. Customs (1934). The U.S. Supreme Court found the novel not obscene (1964). Banned in Turkey (1986). Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

An American Tragedy, Theodore Dreiser

Banned in Boston, Mass. (1927) and burned by the Nazis in Germany (1933) because it "deals with low love affairs." Source: 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.

 

Rabbit, Run, John Updike

Fawcett. Banned in Ireland in 1962 because the Irish Board of Censors found the work "obscene" and "indecent," objecting particularly to the author's handling of the characters' sexuality, the "explicit sex acts" and "promiscuity." The work was officially banned from sales in Ireland until the introduction of the revised Censorship Publications Bill in 1967. Restricted to high school students with parental permission in the six Aroostock County, Maine community high school libraries (1976) because of passages in the book dealing with sex and an extramarital affair. Removed from the required reading list for English class at the Medicine Bow, Wyo. Junior High School (1986) because of sexual references and profanity in the book. Source: 5, p. 319-20; 8, Mar. 1977, p. 36; Mar. 1987, p.55.


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Banned Books Week

This glorious week falls at the end of every September. Jonah Goldberg recently wrote an op-ed for USA Today (Text) that decried much of the attention given to the occasion. I think it's his conclusion that really irks me (as he's not completely wrong leading up to the point, which makes me even more disgusted that I agree, in part, with Jonah Goldberg):

"These days, teachers unions are fond of claiming that apathetic parents deserve more of the blame for the woeful state of education today. Maybe so. But a national policy of bullying parents interested in what their kids are reading hardly seems like the best way to encourage them. Indeed, from these numbers, the real scandal might be that so few books are "banned or challenged."

 I won't even touch the obvious point of apathetic parents "maybe" deserving some of the blame for their kids' inability to learn. The idea that not enough books are banned or challenged is ridiculous. If we're talking about elementary to junior high aged kids, there's a little merit to this, but I would assume those libraries rarely carry books that aren't age appropriate. I wouldn't expect to find "Madame Bovary" in the hands of a sixth grader, but if I saw that, I'd assume the child was either wicked smart or had parents that were deeply involved in that child's education. That's a win/win despite the more adult content within the book. Of course, Goldberg doesn't give any examples of books that should be banned more often, leaving the argument to hang in the air without giving any real textual examples as evidence.

"As an author myself, I'm all for making book-reading more attractive to young people. Banned Books Week seems in part designed to make book-reading seem "subversive." That's admirable. But Banned Books Week has less admirable themes as well. As an educational enterprise, it denigrates the United States as a backward, censorial country when it's anything but. It demeans parents and other citizens who take an interest in the schools. And it attempts to elevate the judgment of professional librarians to unimpeachable heights — the same librarians who've sometimes pushed to allow nearly unfettered access to porn in public libraries. Fighting mythical censorship with real propaganda hardly seems like a worthwhile trade."

The idea that Banned Books Week is meant to "make book-reading seem 'subversive'" is laughable at best, especially considering most parents teach their children to do the right thing as opposed to bucking the system whenever possible purely to rage against it. Like every other Awareness Week or Month out there (Breast Cancer, Black History, Water Polo Appreciation, Whatever), the week is meant to highlight the fact that there ARE books unavailable to those who may be interested in them. How's a kid going to know about, ironically, "Farenheit 451" unless someone brings it to their attention?


Goldberg's logic equates to Black History Month as being some kind of plot by the Black Panthers to brainwash white folk (it's not). Thanks to some school systems (see: the South), there's a very serious white- and straight-washing of history, moreso than we've seen in the past 30 years, to EXCLUDE the individuals who've helped create this melting pot of a country. Kids need to know who Martin Luther King and Malcom X were and why both men approached the Civil Rights movement in the ways they did. Don't we want to teach our kids how to see two sides of the same coin so they can see the results of both and make their own decisions? Teaching "Huckleberry Finn" BECAUSE OF, not in spite of, the word "nigger" showing up repeatedly in the text can teach kids the evolution and etymology of the word from a simple descriptor to its current negative and derogatory nature. The context of the word between then and now is something that needs to be explained and discussed, period.





Goldberg also refutes the idea that we might be some kind of "backward, censorial country." Well, we are. Christian groups screamed bloody murder and protested the Harry Potter books because there was witchcraft inside them. Of course, had they actually read the books, the themes and teachings of Christ were (intentionally or not) layered throughout the intricate story of Harry, Hermoine, and Ron across all seven books. I wonder if C.S. Lewis got this kind of response when his Chronicles of Narnia series came out...despite the biblical allegory of every book being overt and obvious to the point of being beat over the head with religious teaching. My guess is probably not, even though most of the books were steeped in magic and wizardry.

I disagree with his assertion that many of us left-leaning people believe book banning to be an epidemic right now, and I certainly disagree that the week elevates the judgment of professional librarians to an unimpeachable level. Though, if I were asked, I'd put more faith in the judgment of elementary and junior high school librarians as to what's appropriate for those ages against the book knowledge of a good number of the parents making so much noise. There was nothing my mom wouldn't let me read, if I remember correctly. I can't recall a specific book that I wasn't allowed to read and if there was, I either didn't know it or she didn't know I had it. Regardless, the fact that I was simply a voracious reader at a young age didn't bother her. In fact, she fostered that habit over the course of many summers.

Goldberg's idea of mythical censorship vs. real propaganda is just silly. By his own accounting, some 348 books were banned or challenged last year, though the number averages around 400-500 a year. That's still a sizable number and hardly mythical. The only one spewing propaganda is Goldberg himself, using one instance of, ironically, First Amendment rights on pornography in public libraries as a piece of evidence that somehow becomes indicative of all libraries and librarians within them. This is obviously absurd and such an extreme bit of proof that his entire argument falls flat. Public libraries are publicly funded and attract all patrons of all ages. School libraries would never allow that, nor would any court of any level find that pornography was an acceptable thing to be accessed at those ages (considering one must be 18+ to get into most strip clubs or buy nudie mags at the moment). The argument is weak and that's an understatement.

Read a book, banned or otherwise. Just don't buy into the ridiculous notion that Banned Book Week is some subversive movement meant to brainwash your children.

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That's The Mood That I'm In...

I'm not entirely sure how I came to find a love for jazz, but I know it started around junior high. The first three videos are of songs that were on the "Malcolm X" soundtrack, a soundtrack I'd originally bought for the Arrested Development songs, but fell in love with completely. When I was younger, I'd play the hell out of a cassette tape until the thing broke and this one in particular was no exception.  

As I got older and started dating my first girlfriend in high school, she turned me on to more and more jazz during our relationship. We'd go to jazz band events at her school and maybe a couple at my school...but what I remember most vividly are the weekend afternoon naps with her while Ella Fitzgerald lullabied us into a strange half-sleeping/half-waking place of comfortable. Every once in a very rare occasion, I will smell someone wearing the same body oil that she did and I'm instantly transported back to her room. 

 

John Coltrane - "Alabama"

Ella Fitzgerald - "Azure"

Duke Ellington - "Arabesque Cookie (Arabian Dance)"

I think jazz reminds me of a better me, a more pure (certainly less naive) version of the me that exists now. Or maybe that's just the magic of the music; so much of the old-timey style, when simply listened to, can make a person sway back and forth as if they were actually in the old ballrooms filled with soldiers and debutantes. Maybe it's the idea of crowded smokey bar rooms and whiskeys poured all night long, a four-piece up on stage killing it for the last 2 hours and showing no signs of stopping. Whatever the feeling is, I often find myself having a day of listening to nothing but jazz. It's calming, it's evocative, and it helps me reminisce about some of the earlier parts of my life where things were less complicated and I was infinitely more ignorant.

Miles Davis - "Pee Wee"

Lionel Hampton - "Stardust"

Charlie Parker - "All The Things That You Are"

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Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life"

If you want to see this movie and don't want it to be spoiled, I'd recommend reading something else. I will probably ruin a few things in here, plot-wise, so be warned. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews on this one, but I was intrigued by the trailer:

I took the time today to sit down and watch it, knowing it was going to be a heavy two hours. No distractions, no breaking it up into small segments, just all the way through. The first hour or so is filled with a lot of incredible imagery. Imagine scenes from the documentary "Earth," but then juxtaposed with the growth of a family. What Malick does here is gorgeous in terms of playing up the idea of creation, both in a religious sense and a familial sense, but it's not exactly ground-breaking (see: the video posted at the end of the paragraph). Scenes of jellyfish and hammerheads swimming in the ocean, slow lava eruptions, solar flares and explosions projected at molasses-like speed; these are beautiful to watch, but do little to serve the story, which itself gets stronger as the movie goes on.

The last half of the movie focuses more finely on the family. Whereas the first half tries (and maybe even accomplishes?) to bring the viewer into an emotional connectivity with the characters, the second half shows more actual moments of the family's life and truly brings the viewer closer to the story and the people therein. What Malick does best in this half is show the slow fracturing of the familial bonds.

The father, played by a vacillating Brad Pitt, is both wise and loving father while also assuming the role of unbending/backbreaking disciplinarian. It is obvious that he adores his children and that he wants them to grow up to be decent men (all three are boys), but the moments where passes out punishment make one sympathize with the boys. My favorite scene (which was subsequently ruined by the monologue that immediately followed as it over-explained what Malick had just SHOWN us) shows the eldest son, very much in the height of his hatred for his father, finding his father working on the car in the yard. The car is jacked up several feet and Brad Pitt is deep beneath the machine. The eldest son looks at the car, looks at his father under it, then spends an agonizingly long time staring at the jack holding up the car. The son is having a serious internal debate about how much he wants to hurt his father. The scene is a heavy one.

The entire movie is a bit like opening up someone's memories and making them your own, if only for a little while. Rather than have scenes that lead to other scenes in a chronological way, the movie is cut and spliced through vignettes of the character's important moments. It's easy to turn these important moments into cliche or trite and overused nonsense, but Malick tweaks them enough to make them interesting and unique.

I can see the argument as to why people might find this a pretentious movie. There is very little dialogue (maybe a grand total of 20 minutes worth over the course of 2 1/4 hours) and the monologues sound like prayers being sent to the viewer. The problem with making this kind of movie is that it definitely won't appeal to a broader audience. It's entirely too experimental, too dream-like, and too interested in what it's trying to say to care about what other people think about it. So, pretentious? Yes. Worth watching a couple times? Absolutely.


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TED Talks

The TED Talks are some of the most fascinating and informative things I've ever found on the internet. I could spend hours watching these. And though often out of my league intellectually, there are a ton of these talks by some of the most normal people that will flip your lid if you take the time to check them out. Ranging from exploratory sciences to philosophy, creativity to social media, each talk, regardless of the depth or scope will captivate you. Guaranteed.

From the wiki page (TED Talks Wikipedia):

TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading."

TED was founded in 1984^[1] as a one-off event and the conference was held annually from 1990 in Monterey, California.^[3] TED's early emphasis was largely technology and design, consistent with a Silicon Valley center of gravity. The events are now held in Long Beach and Palm Springs in the U.S. as well as in Europe and Asia, offering live streaming of the talks. They address an increasingly wide range of topics within the research and practice of science and culture. The speakers are given a maximum of 18 minutes to present their ideas in the most innovative and engaging ways they can. Past presenters include Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall, Malcolm Gladwell, Al Gore, Gordon Brown, Richard Dawkins, Bill Gates, educator Salman Khan, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and many Nobel Prize winners.^[4] TED's current curator is the British former computer journalist and magazine publisher Chris Anderson.

From 2005 to 2009, three $100,000 TED Prizes were awarded annually to help its winners realize a chosen wish to change the world. From 2010, in a changed selection process, a single winner is chosen to ensure that TED can maximize its efforts in achieving the winner's wish. Each winner unveils their wish at the main annual conference.

Since June 2006,^[1]the talks have been offered for free viewing online, under a Creative Commons license, through TED.com. As of August 2011, over 900 talks are available free online. By January 2009 they had been viewed 50 million times. In June 2011, the viewing figure stood at more than 500 million,^[5] reflecting a still growing global audience.^[6]

JR - "Using Art to Turn the World Inside Out"

Sir Ken Robinson - "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"

Malcolm Gladwell - "What We Can Learn From Spaghetti Sauce"

Steve Levitt - "Why Do Crack Dealers Still Live with Their Moms?"

Jeff Han - "The Intuitive Computer Screen"

Mary Roach - "10 Things You Didn't Know About Orgasms"

James Randi - "Fiery Takedown of Psychic Frauds"

JJ Abrams - "The Mystery Box"

Janna Levin - "The Sound the Universe Makes"

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Def Poetry Jam

HBO used to show this program called Def Poetry Jam. It was one of the dopest shows on television and presented the viewing public with some of the most amazing poets, lyricists, and rappers reciting their own poetry. If you've got the time, I would HIGHLY recommend sitting down to watch each of these pieces in their entirety.

You'll notice there's only one female poet here. I've been vilified in the past for having a very male-centric view of not only the authors that I read, but also the poets that I listen to. I think once you watch the videos below, you'll understand why I feel more connected to what these cats are saying. I'm not anti-woman by any stretch of the imagination, I just prefer what the guys are doing here.

 

 

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Choosing Art for "Impasto"

I am asked all the time about how I've chosen which art to become characters in my book. Here's a bit of insight into that and a few new ones that I'm thinking about utilizing and why.

When starting out, I initially want to find paintings that say something to me. I may not understand what it is they convey exactly, but I must first have an aesthetic attraction to them and, ultimately, an emotional and visceral reaction. Since painting is a decidedly visual art, this seemed the most appropriate path in the selection process.

Once I had chosen some 20 or 30 different paintings (the list currently sits at 63 total), I began looking at each piece in a different manner; research had to happen. I needed to find out everything I could about not only the painting, but the artist's as well. What influenced the artist? What kind of philosophies did they hold, both for art and for living? Was there something that occurred in their life that became a part of their overall visual patois, a mainstay metaphor maybe? I needed to find as many connections between the art, the artist, and the story I hoped to write in order to put the chosen paintings to proper good use.

That many of the pieces come from the Surrealist camp is perhaps more a glimpse at my particular interests rather than any derived intended meaning for the book. I find most surrealist art to be among the most beautiful, the most mind-bending, and the most thought-provoking...all traits I wanted my book to contain as well. The style seemed fitting.

Once I narrowed down my field of 20 to about half of that, it was time to dig in to the work. The first piece chosen had always been Magritte's "Son of Man." It just seemed right for him to have a voice in the piece and I couldn't explain any further than that; it was just a feeling. Oftentimes, I forced myself to simply stare at the work for a significant amount of time in order to figure out how exactly I wanted the voice of the painting to emerge. Like I said in my Thesis Preface, this is a bit of a highwire act. Not only am I using someone else's art to help tell my story, but there is the very real possibility that I may unintentionally cheapen the intention of the piece.

Textually, I struggled. I wanted each piece to have its own distinctive style and cadence. De Chirico's "Two Sisters" became a back and forth poem between the two figures trapped between the frames. Duchamp's "Nude Descending a Staircase" became a kind of journal or diary detailing the fractured nature of the father/"son" relationship. Hopper's "Automat" became a lonely woman's need for someone to listen to her talk about what was missing from her life. All of these personal problems became tied into the greater story, yet remained very distinctly the voice of the painting.

And now, I am going through that same process for another 30+ paintings. I need to have at least some semblance of an idea as to how to approach them all because I realized that if this book ever gets published, being allowed to use all these images is going to either be costly or not allowed by the people or foundations who retain the rights to them. And that's understandable, if a little disappointing to think about. Until that day comes, I keep moving forward.

Below, you'll find the new batch of pieces I'm working from. At the moment, I have about as much idea as you do as to how I'm going to shape their voices and their stories. The first one, Thomas Hart Benton's "Persephone," will most likely be the easiest due to the overt mythological reference of Persephone's abduction by Hades.

Thomas Hart Benton - "Persephone"

Eugene Berman - "Cassandra"

Toyen - "Sleep"

Felix Labisse - "Phyme" 

 

Joaquin Torres-Garcia - "Two Figures"

Hugo Simberg - "Garden of Death"

Francis Picabia - "Five Women"

Paul Gauguin - "Manao Tupapau (The Spirit of the Dead Keep Watch)"

Kay Sage - "Small Portrait"

Paul Cezanne - "Pyramid of Skulls" 

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