stillness is a lie, my dear
Book challenges and bans are, it seems, an inevitable part of the way of life across not just the US, but the world. For as long as people have been writing, other people have been trying to suppress writing they think is salacious, seditious, or shocking; and sometimes, they’ve succeeded. In addition to outright bans, […]
Given the amount of time I spend talking about language, I often encounter the idea that I am trying to ‘take words away’ and want certain words to vanish from English usage. Nothing could be further from the truth, and the very idea horrifies me. Sanitising the language we use to make these words go […]
Judy Blume has landed herself quite a double-header of fame: She’s probably one of the most famous authors for middle grade readers[1. US readers: Who read at least one Judy Blume book while in elementary or middle school? Raise your hands!] and she’s also one of the most challenged authors of the 20th century. She […]