For years, 'Out of Darkness' appeared on reading lists as a recommendation for ambitious young readers ready to face disquieting aspects of the American experience. Then it began facing bans.
Attacks unfolded, not just on my writing but also on young people's right to read it. Hate mail and threats overwhelmed the inboxes where I once had received invitations for author visits and appreciative notes from readers. At the beginning of 2021,had been on library shelves for over five years without a single challenge or complaint. As we reach the end of 2022,Out of Darkness
would be difficult — for me, and for readers. I drew my inspiration for the novel from an actual school disaster: the 1937 New London school explosion that killed hundreds in an East Texas oil town just 20 minutes from my childhood home. This tragic but little-known historical event serves as the backdrop for a fictional star-crossed romance between a Black teenager and a young Latina who has just arrived in the area.
As I researched the novel, I imagined the explosion as its most devastating event. But to engage honestly with the realities of the time and of my characters' lives, I had to grapple with systemic racism, personal prejudice, sexual abuse and domestic violence. As I wrote, the teenagers' circumstances began to tighten, noose-like, around their lives and love, leading to still more tragedy.
So it went until early 2021. In the wake of the 2020 presidential elections, right-wing groups pivoted from a national defeat to"local" issues. The latest wave of book banning exceeds anything ever documented by librarian or free-speech groups. The statistics for 2021, which represent only a fraction of actual removals, reflect a more than 600% increase in challenges and removals as compared to 2020.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
Banned Books: Author Ashley Hope Pérez on finding humanity in the 'darkness'Ashley Hope Pérez published 'Out of Darkness' in 2015 to critical acclaim. The novel re-contextualized contemporary issues of race providing a historical framework in a not-so-post-racial America.
Baca lebih lajut »
Utah football’s Clark Phillips III clinches unanimous All-American statusUniversity of Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III on Wednesday was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, securing unanimous All-American status for the third-year sophomore
Baca lebih lajut »
Adam Sandler to receive Mark Twain Prize for American HumorAdam Sandler will receive the 24th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Kennedy Center said in a statement on Tuesday.
Baca lebih lajut »
Adam Sandler to receive 2023 Mark Twain Prize for American HumorThe John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced Tuesday that Adam Sandler will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at a gala on March 19.
Baca lebih lajut »
The American Dream Gets Stripped Bare in “Welcome to Chippendales”Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales,” starring Kumail Nanjiani and Murray Bartlett, is a night-club-lit comic tragedy that traces the spectacular rise and sordid fall of a cheesy yet pivotal corner of the sexual revolution.
Baca lebih lajut »