That library debate about banned books last Tuesday got pretty heated

I was at the Oakwood Public Library for a book club meeting and two members started arguing about whether we should even read challenged books. One lady said she won't touch anything on a banned list because it's controversial for a reason. The other guy said that's exactly why we should read them. I just sat there with my copy of Maus feeling awkward. Has anyone else had their book club fall apart over this kind of thing?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese_patel3d ago

I've been exactly there! My book club read "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" and we had three people threaten to quit before the meeting even started. What worked for us was having a no-judgment rule for that one discussion. We let everyone say their piece without interruption, and the people who were against it ended up listening to why others wanted to read it. One lady admitted she'd never actually read a challenged book before and changed her mind after we talked it through. We ended up keeping everyone in the group and now we pick one controversial title every six months on purpose.

adam_butler383d ago

But if one person's discomfort is enough to keep a book off the table, doesn't that mean the loudest voice always wins? I get the no-judgment rule, but @reese_patel, that lady who changed her mind only did so because the other side got a platform to argue their case. Some groups aren't that civil. We tried a similar thing with "The Bluest Eye" and half the members walked anyway, no matter how fair we tried to be. Sometimes it's just a values clash that talking can't paper over.