Dixie District Schools Issue Administrative Directive To Ban “Inappropriate” Books
The National Council of Teachers of English reported on an Administrative Directive sent by the superintendent of the Dixie District Schools to all the district school directors and principals. The directive stated that books and school materials containing any profanity, cursing, or inappropriate subject matter will be barred from the schools. This piece of work claims to reflect the values of the community, but the community said WTF. The Dixie County Advocate Facebook page is teeming with comments from community members who do not agree with, and are incensed by the ban. Did we all accidentally fall into a time machine?
The 2016 VIDA Count Is Out
I’m not even going to pretend I already read through the extensive 2016 VIDA Count published today. There’s so much to dive into, and also some infographics to ease the data analysis. The VIDA Count, which tallies the gender disparity in major literary publications and book reviews, feels particularly important right now. This year’s introduction begins, “When Donald Trump kicked off his campaign with ‘Make America Great Again,’ every person in the country knew the coded message he was selling: Let’s get back to a time when queers were in the closets, segregation ruled public spaces, poor people were victims of their own failings, and moreover, white men determined the course of the country.”
California Says, Never Mind About That Autograph Mandate For Booksellers
Because booksellers were understandably not cool with it. The state’s mandate required booksellers to get a certificate of authenticity before they could sell autographed books priced at more than five dollars. It should be noted that the law didn’t exclusively apply to books, but to all autographed items. A few months ago, Book Passage owner Bill Petrocelli filed a lawsuit arguing that guest author lectures and book signings “are fundamental to First Amendment freedoms.” Facing the wrath of booksellers across the state, California governor Jerry Brown signed a bill exempting books from the law.
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