The documentary turned into a novel , “Babi Yar”, was my first real understanding of the implications of the banning/burning of books. It was an account of witness to mass murder in WWII. I was 17 or 18 when I read it. I believe the document was buried and smuggled out of danger, otherwise it would not have existed.
I should be a demented mess considering all the types of books I have read. By the time I was about 11 I was totally bored by the books in the children’s section of the public library. My mother had to give library permission for me to check out adult section books. I read all of Steinbeck, some of Hemingway. I distinctly remember reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich when I was 13. I still read about Hitler’s Germany and the concentration camps. I’ve read romance novels and even porn. One modern author I could never get “into” is Stephen King.
So important to keep this in the public eye. Thank you Cheryl.
WOW! Quite a testimony . Your columns offer great insight!
The documentary turned into a novel , “Babi Yar”, was my first real understanding of the implications of the banning/burning of books. It was an account of witness to mass murder in WWII. I was 17 or 18 when I read it. I believe the document was buried and smuggled out of danger, otherwise it would not have existed.
I should be a demented mess considering all the types of books I have read. By the time I was about 11 I was totally bored by the books in the children’s section of the public library. My mother had to give library permission for me to check out adult section books. I read all of Steinbeck, some of Hemingway. I distinctly remember reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich when I was 13. I still read about Hitler’s Germany and the concentration camps. I’ve read romance novels and even porn. One modern author I could never get “into” is Stephen King.
Ha! I appreciate your sharing how you somehow survived!
Such an incredibly important column.
Banning can sometimes be shorthand for powerful and amazing:
* Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picolt ~ chilling
* The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini ~ heartbreaking
* The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood ~ haunting
* The Color Purple by Alice Walker ~ inspiring
(Highly recommend these, as well as "The Catcher in the Rye," because I'm named after Holden Caulfield's little sister. xo)
Thanks, Phoebe! Good to know that you are a namesake from such a great book!
I guess good reading should be like good nutrition, read (eat) a wide variety.
“A Wrinkle in Time”, imagination is necessary, as well as fun.
Yes, Sarah! You're right!