Podcast #276: On Book Banning

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On Book Banning: Or, How the New Censorship Consensus Trivializes Art and Undermines Democracy - Biblioasis

The freedom to read is under attack. From the destruction of libraries in ancient Rome to today’s state-sponsored efforts to suppress LGBTQ+ literature, book bans arise from the impulse toward […]

BiblioasisWells, Ira

And this week, we’re going to be talking about book banning, with University of Toronto English professor Ira Wells, author of a newly published Biblioasis book titled, simply enough, On Book Banning.

As Ira writes, the urge to ban books is older than the printing press. Even the Ancient Romans tried to burn books they didn’t like—though, as Tacitus reminds us, these efforts often backfired.

When it comes to modern times, Wells writes, the instinct to ban books is alive and well on both sides of the political spectrum. And yes, trigger warning, you’re going to be hearing plenty of so-called “both-sidesism” in this podcast episode.

Using Florida as a case study, Wells describes how conservatives have tried to suppress books they accuse of indoctrinating children into LGBT lifestyles. Meanwhile, here in Ontario, Canada, where both Ira and I live, progressive censors have used anti-racism and related doctrines as a pretext to strip thousands of books from shelves—in some cases for no other reason than that the book was written more than fifteen years ago, and so is presumptively unrepresentative of modern progressive values.

And full disclosure: Ira is my neighbour here in Toronto—and our children attended the same elementary school, which shall go unnamed, of course. As part of his research, Ira took the school up on its offer to come observe how the new progressive book-purging policy would work.

Suki’s Kimono - Kids Can Press

Suki’s favorite possession is her blue cotton kimono. A gift from her obachan, it holds special memories of her grandmother’s visit last summer. And Suki is going to wear it on her first day back to school --- no matter what anyone says.#When it’s Suki’s turn to share with her classmates what she did during the summer, she tells them about the street festival she attended with her obachan and the circle dance that they took part in. In fact, she gets so carried away reminiscing that she’s soon humming the music and dancing away, much to the delight of her entire class!#Filled with gentle enthusiasm and a touch of whimsy, Suki’s Kimono is the joyful story of a little girl whose spirit leads her to march --- and dance --- to her own drumbeat.

Kids Can Press

Ira even took part in a so-called book audit, to determine if books such as Suki’s Kimono are sufficiently anti-racist to save from banishment.

Please enjoy my interview with Ira Wells, author of the newly published Biblioasis book, On Book Banning.

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