You Never Forget Your First One
- macgyvergirl74
- Mar 12, 2022
- 3 min read
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet,
then you must write it.” - Toni Morrison
This quote perfectly sums up the first recently published book that I had the honor of editing. Keep in mind, this is not the first book I edited…just the first one to get published. But that is a topic for another time and rant. The excitement I feel when I see this book for sale on Amazon is indescribable. Not only because of my role with it, but also in the work that I know went into it, the drive behind it, the frustration in meeting a deadline, and the wonderful cause that it supports.
Ban This Book by Craig Yoe echoes Toni Morrison’s quote above. You see, Craig is an incredibly gifted creator – art, writing, humor, wit - he covers it all. But this book was definitely a passion-project for him. As the country is yet again riddled with censorship and book banning, Craig took on the role of advocating for authors of all genres. Combating the arguments used to ban various books throughout history, he spotlights the ridiculous reasons given to censor certain works. Not only has he, himself, been censored as a young author, but he has decided to donate portions of his sales to nonpartisan organizations that promote First Amendment rights such as freedom of the press. He’s not just writing a book to make money and speak his mind, but he’s also helping to fight for other authors’ rights. Which, when you think about it, he’s actually fighting for our rights and our right to have books of every caliber and genre available to the common man.
This is a concept that has fallen by the wayside since Andrew Carnegie began building libraries across the nation and around the world to help entire countries become literate, independent thinkers. Over 2,000 libraries were built in under 50 years. Go ahead, do the math. I’ll wait. Yep, that’s more than 40 libraries built each year - each one funded by donations from a single man. He had nothing to gain from his altruistic philanthropy, but the people of this nation did. No longer was literacy and education for only the wealthy, but it was now available to all. And how do we show our thanks a mere century later?
A frequent argument in banning certain works holds the regard that we don’t want our children to become what they read. Let me put it this way – I’ve read the Hatchet series by Gary Paulsen. I have yet to become a teenage survivalist. Heck, I struggle to survive without my coffee. Maybe what we need to think about is the very fact that we DON’T want to become what we read. Whether the book is about slavery, hate crimes, Nazi Germany, and so on, maybe how we raise our children will let them determine for themselves that certain social “norms” of the past should not be the norm in today’s world. Maybe such books will teach them empathy, kindness, and support for others. Maybe our children will be better humans than we are. Isn’t that the goal? I mean, when you’re lying in a nursing home, don’t you want someone kind and compassionate taking care of you?
Even if you don’t support book censorship, what steps do you take to combat it? There’s a quote by Bishop Desmond Tutu that goes, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Granted, everyone’s abilities to personally support a cause are different. Some donate money, some donate time, while others like Craig Yoe donate their talents. How will you donate to your cause? Me? I’m going to read. I’m going to edit works so they may best convey the author’s intent. I’m going to honor the wise words of Joseph Brodsky, an expelled Russian turned American poet and essayist:
“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
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