By Ken Stokes
Unless your current COVID protocols have really cut you off from civilization, you no doubt know about the Nampa school board’s recent decision to permanently ban from Nampa School District libraries 22 titles—principally books addressing issues specific to marginalized communities—and to forbid their mention or inclusion in any curriculum. Never mind that the formal review of the books was under way but not yet completed. Never mind that the reasons were, at best, specious. Never mind that the decision parroted an unsuccessful attempt by Idaho House Republicans to hold librarians criminally liable for disseminating so-called ‘harmful materials,’ the specifics of which were included in a notorious ‘super-secret folder.’ Never mind that the majority of these books are critically acclaimed bestsellers. Never mind that this is precisely the kind of situation where parental discretion should be invoked in lieu of government mandates.
As a former contestant on Jeopardy! I would love to quiz the board members on a smattering of key details from the banned books. We all know they’d flunk. There’s no way any single member, much less the entire board, read all 22 books. Given the decision to forego the formal review process which was under way, the banning of any book by citing passages out of context rather than having read the book in its entirety by the decision-makers wasn’t simply lazy, it was the very definition of ignorance.
It’s also clear from the selections that the Nampa school board, like the zealots from which they take their cues, is principally interested in gay-bashing with a side order of misogyny and racism, anchors its outrage in a few contemporary, popular titles and incendiary soundbites, and doesn’t really have a problem with books referencing misogyny, domestic violence, sexual assault and rape, promiscuity and prostitution, as well as the entire litany of transgressions recounted in Dante’s Inferno. Because to genuinely be alarmed by those topics to such an extent that censorship is the only solution puts hundreds of masterpieces of the Western canon on the chopping block.
Let me toss off a few you may be familiar with: The Canterbury Tales, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Oliver Twist, Les Misérables, The Cider House Rules, Anna Karenina, The Sun Also Rises, To Kill a Mockingbird and my personal favorite, Candide. Of course, Inferno would need to go. And the Holy Bible as well.
I was almost hesitant to even list specific titles lest I provide both the Nampa school board and Republican state legislators with one-stop shopping for their next purge. Now here’s why I’m not concerned: to ban or in any way discourage the teaching of the pillars of the Western canon would directly compromise the ability and/or opportunities for Nampa School District graduates to secure admission to most of—and certainly to the top—liberal arts colleges and universities.
Can you imagine the Nampa school board putting any obstacles in place that would compromise the ability of one of its student-athletes to secure a scholarship or admittance to a top university? Well, guess what, sports fans, without an independent effort by students to compensate for this failing in their formal education, Nampa high school athletes who dream of playing for Stanford, USC, UCLA, UW, and about 100+ other schools which have exacting standards and require impeccable preparation… Well, forget it. The term is ‘student’ athlete. And the admissions scandals of the past have only reinforced that bar.
Nampa, Nampa, Nampa… Not our problem, right? You can bet Republicans will make this a priority for the 2023 legislative session—the Idaho State Board of Education’s position be damned. It’s coming to a library near you unless cooler—and rational—heads prevail.
Sorry, bureaucrats, most of the books are firmly established in popular culture, and the ban has done for these titles and for ‘indecent books’ in general what Prohibition did for booze. Book stores, libraries and the majority of the public is outraged over this bald attempt of censorship and discrimination and are mounting a counteroffensive—namely, a return to reason. I’m sure many of the speakers at the upcoming Sun Valley Writers’ Conference will be weighing in on the issue and unambiguous in their condemnation of the ban. And no doubt the courts will weigh in.
Art is subjective. And to develop an appreciation of the merits and value of art requires immersion. So let me return to those classics I referenced earlier. They used to be called The Great Books. They still are. I know the titles are familiar, but—come on now, honestly—have you ever read them? If so, they’re worthy of a revisit. If you choose to keep ignorance at bay while immeasurably enriching your life and deepening your insights into the human condition, read a classic of any genre. They are timeless for a reason.
There are numerous sources for a list of recommended classics (Goodreads, Penguin, Amazon). And may I suggest starting with Voltaire’s Candide. It’s less than 100 pages long. It’s hilarious. It’s tragic. It’s sublime. And although written in 1759, it is shockingly relevant today. If a stop on the grand tour of great literature isn’t your idea of a summer read, the Hailey Public Library, The Community Library and the Bellevue Public Library are collaborating to host the 2022 Valley-wide Adult Summer Reading Program, which will focus on works celebrating this place we call home. In either case, please read. The best defense against ignorance is enlightenment.