Here’s another local school related update. Pat Conroy wrote a letter to the Gazette castigating the Kanawha County School Board for suspending two of his books, Beach Music and The Prince of Tides.
I heard rumors of this controversy as I was completing my latest filthy, vomit-inducing work. These controversies are so commonplace in my life that I no longer get involved. But my knowledge of mountain lore is strong enough to know the dangers of refusing to help a Hatfield of West Virginia. I also do not mess with McCoys.
The Gazette reports that Conroy sent the letter, addressed to the Gazette, to George Washington High School senior Makenzie Hatfield, who emailed him about the controversy surrounding his books. Here’s what he had to say about the violence his books.
They contain scenes of violence, but I was the son of a Marine Corps fighter pilot who killed hundreds of men in Korea, beat my mother and his seven kids whenever he felt like it, and fought in three wars. My youngest brother, Tom, committed suicide by jumping off a fourteen-story building; my French teacher ended her life with a pistol; my aunt was brutally raped in Atlanta; eight of my classmates at The Citadel were killed in Vietnam; and my best friend was killed in a car wreck in Mississippi last summer. Violence has always been a part of my world. I write about it in my books and make no apology to anyone. In “Beach Music,” I wrote about the Holocaust and lack the literary powers to make that historical event anything other than grotesque.
(Read the whole thing. It’s entertaining, if a bit over-the-top.)
The school board has suspended the books temporarily, while a “committee of professionals and Nitro-area residents” review the books and determine whether they are suitable for high school seniors. Perhaps I’m overly optimistic, but I bet when they finally finish reading the books (it’s been over a month — slow readers, I guess), they’ll conclude that they aren’t inappropriate. I would think that once they read the books in their entirety and see the controversial scenes in context, they will have a better understanding of the value in students reading them. Like I said, maybe I’m overly optimistic.
Not all of the complaining parents want the books banned outright. Some want alternative books to be provided, disclaimers to be given (the teachers have said they already do this), and a book rating system to be implemented. I guess it’s the teachers who are supposed to spend extra time creating a whole rating system and rating all of the books they assign — without additional pay, of course.
School board member Bill Raglin is in favor of these remedies and says:
“I don’t object to anything Conroy says,” Raglin said. “I just want to give the parents who don’t want to be bothered with him the right to not be bothered with him.”
They already have that right. The parents are entirely free not to be bothered with Pat Conroy and his books. I’m sorry, but I thought it was the students who are in class reading these books, discussing them, writing papers about them, and taking pop quizzes about them. I thought it was the students who are in an AP English class, preparing for college, where they’ll all be next year. Oh, bother.
To be fair, parents should be bothered with it if their children are; they should be involved enough to at least have some familiarity with what’s going on in their child’s school, even if the student is in high school. Similarly, while creating a rating system may be a bit of extra work, it shouldn’t be difficult for teachers to rate the books they assign — they need to be extremely familiar with the books in order to teach them in the first place.
That said, I’m all for teaching controversial material in schools, because it gives both teachers and parents the opportunity to discuss these issues with children. Sheltering students from controversial works only serves to cripple them when they get out into the real world, where violence, sex, and controversy are ubiquitous
A rating system for books?!? Disclaimers?! Now that’s the kind of thinking that makes me want to vomit.
More so than flat-out banning the books, Hoyt?
I see nothing wrong with the idea of informing people what they’re getting into before they read a book/see a movie/play a video game, especially not if the alternative is simply to ban those that some people would consider “offensive”.
Robin, I agree that parents should be involved and have some idea of what their kids are doing at school. But there has to be some limit, especially the older the kids get. If I’m reading a book for English class, and I take the book home and my dad happens to pick it up and flip through it, finding things he thinks are offensive, should he have the right to get the book banned? What if I have no problem with it? What if the rest of the class has no problem with it? What if one kid in the class is offended by a book, but nobody else is — why should that one kid be able to ruin it for everyone else?
From my understanding of this particular situation, the girl who initially complained (or whose mother initially complained, not sure which) was given an alternate book by her teacher. In my mind, that’s problem solved. I’m so sick of people with narrow world views and rigid moral rules expecting everyone else in society to live by those same rules.
(Oh, and I’m not certain, but I thought Hoyt was being sarcastic. Maybe not, I don’t know.)
Oops, Robin. As Red implies, I forgot my obligatory “” at the end of my comment.
I think it’s interesting that this debate over Conroy’s book follows the American Library Association’s “Banned Books Week.” Interesting timing, no?
What the? Why didn’t that take “sarcasm”?
Hm, I don’t know. Strange.
I’ve got no problem with disclaimers, but the teachers say they already do that. They warn the students about the kind of stuff that’s going to be in the book, and they also don’t read or discuss the “sensitive” parts in detail in class.
I think a rating system would be a bunch of unnecessary work. I don’t see why that’s needed if teachers are giving disclaimers.
I guess I just don’t see a problem that needs to be solved here. Teacher gives a disclaimer. Student doesn’t want to read the book. Student gets an alternate book. What’s the problem with that? Why all this hoopla?
Well, I am the teacher who assigned the works. Have been doing so for 4 years. I’ve had other students ask for an alternative–no problem. They usually hate the alternative, typically, James Fennimore Cooper or some other inocuous work that I read in college at Bob Jones University.
How do I give a disclaimer? “The book you are about to read may contain instances of profanity, violence, rape, sex, masturbation, abuse, and religious insensitivities?” That’s almost the disclaimer I would have to do to teach the Bible as literature! One parent didn’t like a book I use with average English students because it described a honeymoon scene where the old bed breaks. The people were extremely poor and married. But don’t they have sex too?!
I tell the kids to get over the sex thing…without it, none of us would be having the discussion. Violence…well, right now we can read about the 4000 who have died in this inane war we are in. Profanity…sometimes it’s just appropriate…or human nature. Rape…never excusable…but tell that to the 1000s that happen each year. You see my point.
Thank God, (I hope that doesn’t disturb anyone’s religiosity) the students focus on the issues. What if reading about the horrific rape causes one of my students to pursue a college degree or future profession to help victims of such issues? Or some sympathy for a soldier who comes home after experiencing graphic violence in real life?
I’ll keep on trying to build success with my program. If I can get just a few students to develop a love of reading…or better yet, some critical thinking on sensitive issues, my job will be worth it.
Thanks so much for stopping by and giving us first-hand information. (And people say the internet is isolating and impersonal.)
I love the point about the Bible, which a commenter made in my first post about this Pat Conroy controversy, because I think that point might really bring it home for the Bible-beaters who faint at the mere mention of sex. It’s all about context, isn’t it?
To add to your examples of what reading these books might lead to, I just keep thinking how valuable Conroy’s books would be for a student who is from an abusive home, which is all too common. I would think that reading someone else’s account of family abuse would be especially significant to someone who has experienced it herself, especially knowing that it’s based on the author’s own abusive childhood. He got through it and here he is writing acclaimed books about it.
Have you ever had a situation where a parent was opposed to his/her child reading a particular book, but the student has no problem with it? Is a parent allowed to force a kid to read an alternative book? Have there ever been any books that have been banned in Kanawha County, that you’re aware of?
Thanks again for leaving a comment. AP English remains one of my very favorite classes (including high school, college, and law school). I had a fantastic teacher. His writing assignments were so much more creative and instructive than any others I’ve ever had. Hope you come back to continue the conversation!
Hello.
I just want to point out a couple of things. First of all, our teachers did warn us. Second, while we agree that parents have the right to restrict their child’s reading material, that parent does not have the right to restrict the rest of us.
Also, there is already a rating system in place. The American Library Association (ALA) is the accepted rating. They have rated both books as ages 15-18. Our ages.
But after all that, I just want to say thanks for supporting us.
Sincerely,
Makenzie Hatfield
Red, you made a point that has happened: the kid wanted to read the book, but the parent objected. You know as well as I do that kid read the book! Of course, the test I gave was on the alternative. I do value my job. That particular student was allowed to stay in the room for discussions; the parents trusted me not to discuss the details. The student knew enough to discuss the work–Hmmm…now how did he do that! Forbidden fruit is always more tempting. That’s why none of the Conroy books can be found in bookstores and libraries in the Charleston area.
The exceptional thing in all of this has been the students! They know their First Amendment rights and have articulated them well and passionately. Their grasp of the issue is beyond the years of those protesting and some of whom will be voting on it. I figure, if these students will stand up for 700 pages of fiction, then when a much larger life issue confronts them, they will be able to speak up for what they believe.
And I thought PARENTS were the ones responsible for the education of their children… Aren’t PARENTS the ones held responsible when their minor children misbehave in school? Or do schools call to Mr. Conroy to discuss the situation?
Now, I challenge you to publish in this blog graphic excerpts from Conroy’s books. But, hey, NO asterisks, please!
It’s quite interesting that “the teacher” who assigned the books, a student, and parent have each added their perspective above. A great illustration of how blogs can generate relevant discussion. Thanks “Red” for posting on this topic, I was too lazy to do so.
Milla, so what if Conroy’s material was published on this site? That would prove there are some graphic details within his literature, but you’re missing the point. These young adults will soon be exposed to a world where mommy and daddy aren’t always there to filter their experiences. Discussion of controversial issues can help students develop their own opinions regarding moral and social issues.
Here’s what the Circuit courts say:
‘Blau v. Fort Thomas’ states that “[w]hile parents may have a fundamental right to decide whether to send their child to a public school, they do not have a fundamental right generally to direct how a public school teaches their child. Whether it is the school curriculum, the hours of the school day, school discipline, the timing and content of examinations, the individuals hired to teach at the school, the extracurricular activities offered at the school or, as here, a dress code, these issues of public education are generally ‘committed to the control of state and local authorities.’ Goss v. Lopez, 419 U.S. 565, 578 (1975)” [emphasis original].
‘Leebaert v. Harrington’ is summarized by the reference in ‘Blau’ as “[t]he fundamental right to control the upbringing and education of one’s child does not include ‘the right to tell public schools what to teach or what not to teach him or her.’”
‘Monteiro v. Temple Union High School’ (9th Circuit, 199
states “the function of books and other literary materials, as well as of education itself, is to stimulate thought, to explore ideas, to engender intellectual exchanges. Bad ideas should be countered with good ones, not banned by the courts. One of the roles of teachers is to guide students through the difficult process of becoming educated, to help them learn how to discriminate between good concepts and bad, to benefit from the errors society has made in the past, to improve their minds and characters.”
J. Keeling and Steve, thanks for the comments. I’ve been neglecting the blog and I actually missed the comment left by Milla. I’m not sure why she challenged me to print “graphic” excerpts from books that I have defended in my blog post. Does she think I’d be afraid to do it for some reason? Of course, printing excerpts out of context is pointless. Context matters, Milla. If you only watched the rape scene in The Accused, all you would know is that the movie contains a graphic rape scene. You would know nothing about the context. You wouldn’t know whether the movie was glorifying rape or condemning it.
Yes, parents do have responsibility for their children’s education — to a point, as the cases cited by Steve show. I strongly object to one parent or a few parents being able to control the education of other people’s children. If one student wants an alternative book, I’ve got no problem with that. But for a parent to ask a school board to ban a book so that no student can read it is going too far. Parents are completely free to send their kids to a private religious school or to homeschool them if they wish to limit and have more control over their children’s education. Nothing is stopping them. But when they choose to send their children to public school, they have chosen to give up some of that control.