Jack Cellucci ‘24
The history of literary destruction itself is ironically well documented. For example, there are records of the burning of Chinese manuscripts, and their authors, at the hand of Shi Huangdi of the Qin Dynasty. Books are just as versatile and powerful as humanity itself, leading to them being censored (or even destroyed) along with the information they contain. In fact, in the modern age, en-masse literary destruction targeting an ethnic group is a violation of national law. As Upper School History teacher Christopher Row warns, quoting nineteenth-century poet Heinrich Heine: “Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings.”
However, we as readers and authors are entering a new chapter in the history of censorship, one much more gradual than the hauntings of Fahrenheit 451. The spooky installation in the Annenberg Library speaks to this very threatening truth. Books such as Harry Potter and The Perks of Being a Wallflower have all entered the list of books banned in schools. Middle School Librarian Sheli Hay recounts one book challenge, while working in a public library earlier in her career, in which a patron challenged a book for being fictional. Said book was a collection of urban myths in which the patron took offense because “crocodiles don’t live in the sewer.”
While nothing is unprecedented, statistics published by the American Library Association, referred to by Sheli Hay, certainly indicate a rise in public literary restriction. The website for Intellectual Freedom states, “Censors targeted a record 2,571 unique titles in 2022, a 38% increase from the 1,858 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2021. Of those titles, the vast majority were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community or by and about Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color.” These findings, while ugly, highlight the notion that it’s specific types of texts that are being banned. The targeted nature of these bans on historically marginalized groups is not only a literary offense but a social one.
In light of social marginalization that can occur, Lorie Harding, Director of Libraries, states, “Our library’s aim is to provide an inclusive library that fosters intellectual adventurousness and curiosity. In fact, the majority of our US collection is on-demand purchasing meaning our library is a vibrant community-curated collection. I am grateful that our community respects and values each other’s narratives and perspectives.”
As scholars, we must recognize the freedom we are given, and use it to expand our empathy. Ignorance is best warded off by the vulnerability to admit ignorance, to open the mind, and prepare it for learning. Prepare yourself for internal conflict and heed the call to justice – whatever that may be.