Oprah Pulls Children's Book From Her Web Site

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I remember reading it as a kid, but I didn't know or care who wrote it. I remember liking it, but that's all I remember.
 
Spazkat9696 said:
I remember reading it as a kid, but I didn't know or care who wrote it. I remember liking it, but that's all I remember.
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I am not familiar with this book either, but it brings up a good question - should good literature be discredited if its author are morally deficient? If so, we would miss out on a lot of great stuff.

I think it's fairly common knowledge that Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland, Jabberwocky, etc...) was a pedophile - that's just one example that comes to mind quickly.
 
I didn't know that Of course I didn't know who wrote Alice in wonderland either. As a matter of fact other than J K Rowling and John Douglass I have no clue who writes the books I read. I just read what I like I could care less about who writes it.
 
Spazkat9696 said:
I didn't know that Of course I didn't know who wrote Alice in wonderland either. As a matter of fact other than J K Rowling and John Douglass I have no clue who writes the books I read. I just read what I like I could care less about who writes it.
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That's probably the best way to do it! I am a literature junkie and sometimes know as much about the authors as their works!
 
southcitymom said:
I am not familiar with this book either, but it brings up a good question - should good literature be discredited if its author are morally deficient? If so, we would miss out on a lot of great stuff.

I think it's fairly common knowledge that Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland, Jabberwocky, etc...) was a pedophile - that's just one example that comes to mind quickly.
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Roald Dahl is another one author of Charlie and the Chocolate factory, James and the giant peach and many others and he is an antisemitist and has made some nasty remarks over the years.
 
I have to jump and and say that A Million Little Pieces by James Frey is one of my all time favorites. I am anxious to read his next book.

I never cared if it was true or not, rarely does a book grab me like that one did and that is what really mattered.

Oprah needs to be careful about making judgments, IMO.
 
I always say, I might disagree with what you say but I will fight for your right to say it. When we censor based on the content of the message, our favored "content" could be censored next.

Eve
 
eve said:
I always say, I might disagree with what you say but I will fight for your right to say it. When we censor based on the content of the message, our favored "content" could be censored next.

Eve
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I agree. But the book isn't being banned, just taken down from Oprah's list. It's hardly a constitutional right.

Oprah also has the right to recommend books that she likes or finds to be particularly enlightening. I'm guessing that one filled with racist undertones doesn't qualify.
 
I know it's only off of O's list, but next thing you know it will be on school "banned books" lists....whether it should be or not, I don't know. I haven't read the book nor do I know anything about the author.

If I had time I'd like to review all the other books and authors on her list! lol

Angelmom, I'm off to read your link. I hope it enlightens me a little about this topic!
 
angelmom said:
I agree. But the book isn't being banned, just taken down from Oprah's list. It's hardly a constitutional right.

Oprah also has the right to recommend books that she likes or finds to be particularly enlightening. I'm guessing that one filled with racist undertones doesn't qualify.
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from Squishified's link.....
Despite controversy surrounding the author's identity and legitimacy, The Education of Little Tree was critically acclaimed and won the 1991 American Booksellers Association Book of the Year (ABBY) award. In 1997, The Education of Little Tree was adapted into a made-for-TV movie but was instead given a theatrical release.
In 2007, Oprah Winfrey pulled the book from a list of recommended titles on her web site. While Winfrey had promoted the book on her TV show in 1994, calling the novel "very spiritual," after learning the truth about Carter she's said she "had to take the book off my shelf."
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Nothing wrong with the book, she just doesn't like the author. I can't say I admire her stance on this one.
 
What about Oprah's freedom of speech?

I agree we can't discard all the great art of the past just because artists don't measure up to our standards of political correctness. Shakespeare and Wagner were anti-semitic (in our terms), Mark Twain's work has elements we now associate with racists. Most historical artists can be deemed homophobic and sexist in one way or another.

But Oprah didn't ask that the book be banned. She simply chose not to recommend it. Doesn't she get the freedom to do that?
 
Nova said:
What about Oprah's freedom of speech?

I agree we can't discard all the great art of the past just because artists don't measure up to our standards of political correctness. Shakespeare and Wagner were anti-semitic (in our terms), Mark Twain's work has elements we now associate with racists. Most historical artists can be deemed homophobic and sexist in one way or another.

But Oprah didn't ask that the book be banned. She simply chose not to recommend it. Doesn't she get the freedom to do that?
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Absolutely. You are right. I guess I have had to wrestle with school board members/administration on books I want to teach because they want to be "politically correct" or they fear various religious and other groups. I am sure Oprah knows how much power she has relating to books. When she recommends a book it virtually guarantees its sales. This book is well-known to me and has received many accolades, but she has every right to not include it. I just hope people realize that this is one person's (Oprah in this case) opinion and don't leap to wanting it banned. We just can't ban everything we don't like.

Eve
 
Rino said:
from Squishified's link.....



Nothing wrong with the book, she just doesn't like the author. I can't say I admire her stance on this one.
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I think Oprah has every right in the world to not recommend a book for whatever reason - it is her list after all!
 
I think it's Oprah's right to pull the book if she wants. I tend to think this will be discussed in schools because Oprah's opinions tend to carry a lot of weight. Case in point, whether or not to eat beef.
 
eve said:
We just can't ban everything we don't like.

Eve
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Although I didn't have to deal with parents, Eve, when I was teaching, I did deal with the opinions of colleagues and (very p.c.) students. But I continued to assign works with objectionable elements and by controversial writers. And then I gave students every chance to discuss and write about the elements they didn't like. As I told them, critical thinking involves engaging with the distasteful, not just pretending it doesn't exist.

But that didn't mean I had to recommend Mel Gibson films. :eek:
 
Nova said:
Although I didn't have to deal with parents, Eve, when I was teaching, I did deal with the opinions of colleagues and (very p.c.) students. But I continued to assign works with objectionable elements and by controversial writers. And then I gave students every chance to discuss and write about the elements they didn't like. As I told them, critical thinking involves engaging with the distasteful, not just pretending it doesn't exist.

But that didn't mean I had to recommend Mel Gibson films. :eek:
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So right, Nova, my approach exactly. I have been in a running disagreement with my boss about the Kite Runner. I want to teach it because my students have a only very faint understanding of or exposure to
the middle east, and I think it is relevant in today's world. My boss seems to think the one incident of sodomy (so relevant to the book's meaning and not graphic or gratuitous) will subject us to too much flack. The hoops I have to jump through are ridiculous.

Eve
 
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