ban on romantic fiction and books in the united states
by nadia ford (2017)
The history of banned books goes back, as some would say, over 400 years ago with the publication of Thomas Morton’s New English Canaan. Although this may not be the starting point of book banning, it is true that the history of book banning has grown over the last 100 years. We have gone from a time when books were burned to keep them out of the reach of innocent people, to a time when questioned and banned books are celebrated every year. The history of banned books is a long one, but one thing that studies have consistently shown is that some of the popular reasons for banning books include sexually explicit comments and not having content that is considered age-appropriate (Crum, 2014).
You are reading: How do books get banned
This report will explore book banning, from a closely scrutinized process to a politically charged story. The report will then explore the ways in which romance novels are affected by the book ban and the conversations sparked by the process. there is reason to believe that the current practice of banning books allows romance novels to become the center of the conversation, allowing the material within them to become the staple that people want to learn more about. After completing this report, the reader will be able to identify the positive effects of the current era of book prohibition.
The process of banning a book begins with the person making the challenge, usually a parent or librarian. a challenge is “an attempt to remove or restrict material, based on the objections of a person or group”. (Banned and Questioned Books, n.d.) A challenge is the beginning of the process to ban a book, which means that many challenges are not met. The case is reported to the American Library Association, but this organization does not ban the books. the wing keeps track of all the challenges and bans that take place each year in order to keep the public informed about what’s happening in the literary community. schools, bookstores and libraries are the only places that can ban books that have been questioned. once a challenge is made, the institution in question may ban the book from the premises or deny the challenge. Bans are done institutionally, meaning that if a book is banned in one library, it’s not banned in all the others. a book may be banned for one or more of the following reasons: racial issues, encouragement of “harmful” lifestyles, blasphemous dialogue, sexual dialogue or situations, violence or negativity, presence of witchcraft, religious affiliations (unpopular religions), political bias , or age inappropriateness. b. (2014, February 20). Along with the reasons mentioned above, in a book he must have violated the Miller Test, a three-point obscenity test. the book must meet one of the following criteria: the material must appeal to prurient interests when taken as a whole, involve clearly offensive sexual conduct, and/or contain literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.” (Banned Books Week: Definition of “Banned”, 2014) In the event that a book is banned, it is removed from the curriculum, library, or store in question, thereby preventing others from accessing the material. Due to the hard work of wing members, anyone in the public can find a list of books that have been challenged and banned each year on their website. books are banned worldwide, but for the purposes of this report, the US literary industry will be the only focus.
The history of the Prohibition of Books and Act Act occurred in 1957 when the Supreme Court judged Roth v. the United States. Roth, who operated a business where he sold books, was tried for distribution of obscene materials, which was against the federal obscenity statute. The conclusion of the case found Roth guilty, while also creating a more direct law about what exactly could or could not be considered obscene. the definition the court decided on was that something is considered obscene if it is “completely devoid of redeeming social importance”. Although this result was not ideal for Roth, it did mean that writers and novelists were able to create works that contained sex and violence. Ronald Reagan’s election provided people with an opportunity to challenge books they believed damaged the American way. “Reagan did not campaign against pornography,” Finan clarifies. “But nevertheless, he ran an election that took power away from those who fought for first amendment freedoms. (Brady, 2016) The extreme increase in banned and questioned books led the American Library Association to respond by creating Banned Books Week in 1982. When Banned Books Week was first implemented, it consisted of libraries and bookstores displaying books that had been banned the purpose of doing so was for people passing by to see which books were banned. “Those screens were hugely effective communication tools,” Finan says, “because people wandered in and found that the books they loved had been called into question. they suddenly understood that censorship is not just about fringe literature.” (brady, 2016)
Starting in 2017, Banned Books Week has sponsors and events such as scavenger hunts throughout the city to motivate and engage the public in learning about banned books and making them aware of how difficult it is to find some of them . keeping the public informed about books that are in the process of being banned, or have been banned, allows them to understand that literature made to broaden the mind is at risk of being snatched away. In an interview given on condition of anonymity, a local bookstore employee noted, “We do it every year because we know it’s important…we make sure it’s front and center.” (quailscomb books, 2017)
Although fewer books are banned each year, many continue to be challenged at the state and local levels. “Between 1990 and 2000, there were 6,364 challenges reported or recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom.” (Schools and Censorship: Forbidden Books, 2008) The Office for Intellectual Freedom is responsible for carrying out all policies related to people’s free access to libraries and the materials they contain. “Seventy-one percent of the challenges were for materials in schools or school libraries. another twenty-four percent went to material in public libraries. Sixty percent of the challenges were submitted by parents, fifteen percent by sponsors, and nine percent by administrators.” (Schools and Censorship: Banned Books, 2008) Librarians, school officials, and parents are working to keep literature out of the hands of those they believe to be at risk. freedom of expression is a right and to this day it is continuously debated. the most common reasons books are challenged are based on: “sexually explicit material, offensive language, or lack of material deemed age appropriate”. (Schools and Censorship: Prohibited Books, 2008) Libraries are institutions where questioned books are most often found. “In stocking their shelves, librarians don’t judge the content of books on whether it would be suitable for all audiences. As public institutions, libraries cannot discriminate in the dissemination of information on the basis of age, sex or race, which means that people can consult any material they choose”. (Conger, 2008) Libraries often have boards that approve or disapprove the addition of new titles, yet many books are overlooked.
Today, approximately 250-350 books are questioned each year. (List of the ten most frequently challenged books, n.d.) The infographic below shows the reasons why books were challenged in 2013, confirming the fact that some of the most common reasons include “sexually explicit language” and ” offensive”. (crum, 2014)
Among the states that ban books the most are texas, oregon, north carolina and connecticut. (Crum, 2014) As has been said previously, parents and librarians are the ones who most often find themselves banning books. In an excerpt from an interview with Scott DiMarco, librarian and library director, we learn why banning books can sometimes be used to prove a point. “By using a well-known and loved local author [dennis miller], the height of the damage that censorship can really do to a community could be brought home in a way that the standard list we all post every day never could. . year.” (dimarco, 2013) dimarco banned a book to raise awareness in his community about the effects of deprivation of freedom of expression. “in conclusion, our campus community received a typical set of programs on the topic of censorship with a general apathy and a pleasant indifference.our unorthodox (okay, heretical) experiment was very successful in highlighting how a simple bureaucratic decision can curb our freedom of reading” (dimarco, 2013) this is not the only type of action that people have taken in response to the banning of books. “The Banned Books Week Coalition is a national alliance of diverse organizations united by a commitment to raise awareness of the annual celebration of freedom to read. The Coalition seeks to engage various communities and inspire participation in Banned Books Week through education, advocacy, and program creation on the issue of Banned Books. and censorship of books. (j, 2013) This retaliation against those trying to challenge and ban books has been immensely effective across the country.
From novels like a bad boy can be good for a girl, to lolita and fifty shades of grey, romance novels, particularly those within the erotic subgenre, have come under fire since their rise in popularity. this begs the question: are parents and librarians simply challenging books against sex?
challenged romance novels
Fifty Shades of Gray is a novel that has been questioned many times. Despite this, the book sold more than 10 million copies in its first 6 weeks on the market, and this number increased to more than 100 million by the end of 2014. (Lewis, 2014) In an interview with a blogger, the Novelist Beth Kery attempted by explaining the lack of substantial evidence to support the removal of Fifty Shades from libraries. “When I started looking deeper into the banning of the Fifty Shades trilogy, I realized there was much more to it than just moral outrage over the sexual content, although that was certainly an important component. the reasons I read for libraries not to buy the book included poor writing and “poor reviews”. I admit I was surprised by the latter, as I’ve never heard of that being a reason to censor a book from a community.” (j, 2013)
Another romance novel that was banned is that a bad boy can be good for a girl. This novel tells the story of how three girls come together and help each other cope after being dumped by the same soccer star right after having sex with him. reading this book, a blogger with the username ‘pladd’ pointed out that this is exactly the kind of novel young women should be involved in, even if it does have sex. “The challenge went all the way to the currituck county board of education, which voted 4-1 to retain the book. I am very happy, because I think that some girls really need this book. It’s not just about sex, though really, what teen hasn’t felt the pressure to have sex or not have sex and wondered how best to deal with it? This book shows three different girls dealing with the same older gamer boy in different ways. everyone gets hurt, but everyone also comes out stronger. That’s why a bad boy can be good for a girl.” (p. 2014)
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The most common reason a book is challenged or banned is due to sexually explicit content (crum, 2014). however, over the decades, the definition of sexually explicit has changed. Fanny Hill, for example, was banned when it was first released. Fanny Hill represents a broader range of sexual experiences than any other book available before written in English. (Graham, 2013) John Cleland was arrested when the novel was first printed in 1748, for his lewd nature. It was still spread as bootleg, becoming so popular that, 200 years later, it was still circulating “fairly freely both in England and America, though always in bootleg editions.” (Graham, 2013) In late 1965, after Fanny Hill was taken to court for being obscene, it was deemed not obscene based on its “historical significance and literary merit.” (graham, 2013) “obscenity law enforcement now deals primarily with child pornography, and the only other major restrictions on adult pornography have to do with where it is displayed and advertised. today, obscenity charges for text-based materials, let alone historical literature, are almost unheard of.” (Graham, 2013) shows that novels are less likely to be challenged if an individual can see that the work is artistic and of importance. Why, then, has 50 Shades of Gray been banned since its popularity grew? 50 Shades of Grey, like Fanny Hill when it was first published, is different from what people are used to seeing. other banned books, like lolita, that were banned for their sexual content are no longer in question because they have been considered classics. When a Florida library was asked why they keep Lolita on their shelves and not Fifty Shades, they replied “because those other books were written years ago and became classics because of the quality of the writing.” (flood, 2012) this type of attitude reflects an idea that could damage the romance industry in the future. romance novels, already dubbed “junk,” could conceivably be kept off shelves because they’re deemed not of high enough quality for communities. if 50 shades of gray had not gained so much popularity, it might have gone unnoticed like many other novels of its nature, but its popularity allowed it to reach the hands of those who do not see its purpose. although there are those who criticize the writing of the book, it got people talking “working women, if you believe newsweek and katie roiphe, not only are they clamoring for the book, they also want bdsm to be depicted in it. The New Yorker found them lining up outside a Soho sex shop awaiting instructions.” (Doll, 2012) There’s no denying that 50 Shades of Grey, like Fanny Hill, opened the floodgates for more. “The book is more challenging in terms of how we deal with such a hype monster in relation to the publishing industry in general, what people want to read and what writers should give them. there will surely be imitators hoping to achieve similar success; the hope is that the erotic version of 50 shades can open the market for better books”. (doll, 2012)
Although no statistics have shown that the week of banned books directly influences the sales of banned romance novels, it can be concluded that the celebration of novels during that specific week increases their knowledge. Banned Books Week not only has promotional material on their website for those looking to become part of the movement, they also hold virtual book readings and have bookstores and libraries post banned books in the front of their stores .
many people see banning books as absurd. Banning a book is the equivalent of denying someone access to something on the internet. Books are used to help us learn about other ideas and cultures, and the book ban is preventing this from happening. “As a book lover, this is undeniably shocking. As a human being, this is incredibly discouraging knowing that the opportunity to learn about different cultures and times in an extremely beneficial and increasingly scarce art form, the written word, is being threatened by the wrong groups of people.” (petite, 2015) ironically, parents, who are the ones who ban most books (infographic, n.d.), may not know that their children are accessing the same hours of ‘sexually explicit’ or ‘violent’ material from their cell phones and the internet. given the current day and age, banning books will never really do what it is intended to do: prevent access to the material.
Also, the process of banning a book may draw more attention to the book itself than was intended. “Banned books draw attention to root problems, whether the people advocating the ban realize it or not. discussion begins on the main themes of the work in question, but prohibiting them does not solve the problem. see, because the only way to shed light on the controversy is to read the book, learn about its themes, and gain a new perspective on the world and how to make it better for everyone.” (petite, 2015) From the quote above, it is clear that the challenge and prohibition of books has evolved. what was once used to “protect” people from provocative information can now be used as a tool to get people talking about what matters. In an interview conducted on condition of anonymity, an employee of Flyleaf Books had this to say: There is a lot to fight for right now. we use the book ban for openness, awareness, and conversation. all this to show that it is innocuous that some books may think that they are prohibited. that’s all we really do. (cover books, 2017)
conclusion
Romance fiction is a genre that, in most cases, includes some type of sexually explicit material. books containing this type of material are among the most banned. whether it’s a parent or a librarian, something is trying to hide from readers. Luckily, Banned Books Week celebrates those novels that have been banned, encouraging their authors and readers to appreciate creative works. In this way, whether it is the popularity of a novel that triggers the challenges against it or a single person not liking what they find, these novels will by no means be kept in the hands of readers.
references
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forbidden and questioned books. (North Dakota.). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.ala.org/bbooks/about
week of prohibited books: definition of ‘prohibited’ (2014, September 18). Retrieved April 10, 2017, from http://www.proquest.com/blog/2014/banned-books-week-defining-banned.html
brady, a. (2016, September 22). The history (and present) of book prohibition in America. Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://lithub.com/the-history-and-present-of-banning-books-in-america/
conger eel, c. (2008, May 12). How does the book ban work? Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://people.howstuffworks.com/book-banning.htm
crum, m. (2014, September 22). books prohibited by numbers. The Huffington Post Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/22/banned-books-week-infographic_n_5852234.html
dimarco, s. r. (2013, July and August). why did i ban a book? Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://crln.acrl.org/content/74/7/368.full
doll, j. (2012, May 22). the alleged sexiness of ’50 shades of gray’ retrieved on April 10, 2017 from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/05/alleged-sexiness-50-shades-grey/327784/
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fifty shades of gray is on the list of most challenged books. (2013, April 15). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fifty-shades-of-grey-makes-the-list-of-most-challenged-books/
flood, a. (2012, May 9). Fifty Shades of Gray Banned from Florida Libraries. Retrieved March 6, 2017 from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/may/09/fifty-shades-of-grey-florida-libraries
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frampton, m. (2011, September 23). Banned Books Week? No; what about the week of canned books? Retrieved April 9, 2017, from http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/blogs/2011/09/banned-books-week-no-what-about-canned-books-week
graham, r. (2013, July 7). how ‘fanny hill’ stopped the literary censors. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/07/06/how-fanny-hill-stopped-literary-censors/yex9kpuhmv5o5avhb87mei/story.html
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infographic. (North Dakota.). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/statistics
(2013, September 21). Banned Books Week: Focus on Erotic Romance. Retrieved March 6, 2017 from https://bookpage.com/the-book-case/15018-banned-books-week-focus-erotic-romance#.wl4ecrizo9y
lewis, a. (2014, February 26). sales of ‘fifty shades of gray’ reach 100 million. Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fifty-shades-grey-sales-hit-683852
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number of copies e.l. James’s ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ have been sold in select countries around the world as of February 2014 (in millions). (2014). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/299137/fifty-shades-of-grey-number-of-copies-sold/
(2014, September 25). challenged books: a bad boy can be good for a girl. Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.patricialadd.com/2014/09/challenged-books-a-bad-boy-can-be-good-for-a-girl/
small, s. (2015, May 7). book ban in the 21st century. Retrieved April 9, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-petite/banning-books-in-the-21st_b_7228274.html
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