banned book

Banned Books Awareness: Ismail Kadaré

January 31, 2016 R. Wolf Baldassarro 1

Most people think of poetry as sonnets and Shakespeare; as romance and respects. More often, poetry offers commentary on socio-political issues. That is how Ismail Kadaré found his works banned in Albania for several years. Kadaré, an Albanian novelist born January 28, 1936, skillfully used poetry and prose to criticize […]

Banned Books Awareness: Borderlife

January 2, 2016 R. Wolf Baldassarro 1

  It is a new year, with new possibilities. Welcome to 2016! Unfortunately, some people didn’t get the message and are slinking back to the past rather than walking hand in hand into the future. Gader Haya (Borderlife), by Dorit Rabinyan, has received the coveted Bernstein literary prize in Israel […]

Banned Books Awareness: “The Working Poor”

January 25, 2015 R. Wolf Baldassarro 4

Banned Books Week, which coincides with the new school year each autumn, is usually a time when scholars, book lovers, and legal analysts discuss how censorship impacts society and education. One would expect those in charge of our schools to hold all aspects of education- especially books- most dear. As […]

Banned Books Awareness: “Harriet the Spy”

January 18, 2015 R. Wolf Baldassarro 1

In 1960s America there weren’t many mysteries solved by powerful female detectives. The choice was between Nancy Drew (who was often overshadowed by the Hardy Boys) and Harriet M. Welsch, better known as Harriet the Spy. It was hard not to like Harriet or to laugh at the whimsical quips […]

Banned Books Awareness: “Naked Lunch”

November 9, 2014 R. Wolf Baldassarro 3

Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs, was originally published in 1959 and is included in Time magazine’s “100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005”. Burroughs stated that the chapters, or “routines” as he calls them- are a collection of loosely-connected vignettes and intended to be read in any order […]

Banned Books Awareness: “Tropic of Cancer”

May 18, 2014 R. Wolf Baldassarro 8

Henry Miller is one of the most important literary figures in American history, but most people don’t even know his name. His was a true underdog story: a creative and challenging author who influenced such literary and pop culture icons as Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, Phillip Roth, Paul Theroux, Erica […]

Banned Books Awareness: “East of Eden”

February 23, 2014 R. Wolf Baldassarro 2

John Steinbeck is synonymous with American literature. He’s considered one of- if not the– greatest author of the 20th century. His novels are considered classics and taught from grade school through university graduate courses here and around the world. Nevertheless, his three most notable works- The Grapes of Wrath (1939), […]