Peyton Place by Grace Metalious

in

A small New England town is rocked by the scandal of everyday life in one of the most forgotten popular books of the twentieth century.

Banned

1957 - Tennessee - Knoxville activated a city ordinance that said the City Board of Review could block items deemed obscene. Local booksellers were forbidden to sell it. One newsstand owner challenged the ordinance and it was ruled unconsitutional.

1958

Ireland - Banned until the introduction of the Censorship of Publications Bill in 1967.

Canada - Temporary ban lifted

1959 - Rhode Island - The Rhonde Island Commission to Encourage Morality in Youth bought action against Bantam and three other New York paperback publishers. The Rhode Island Superior Court upheld the decision, which was later reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bantam Boos, Inc, et al, v. Joseph A Sullivan, et al.

Sources

Callahan, Michael. "Peyton Places' Real Victim." Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 2017 Nov 1 from https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2006/03/peytonplace200603

Doyle, Robert P. "Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read." American Library Association, 2014.

Metalious, Grace. "Peyton Place." Northeastern Univsersity Press. Boston, 1956, 1999.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

in

The tale of men of simple pleasures and simple times meeting on hard ways. Also being frozen.

Banned

1953 - Banned in Ireland

1974 - Indiana - Banned in Syracuse

1977

Pennsylvania - Banned in Oil City

South Carolina - Challenged in Greenville by the Fourth Province of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan

1979 - Michigan - Challenged but retained in Grand Blanc schools after being called "vulgar and blasphemous"

1980

New York - Challenged in Vernon-Verona-Sherill School District

Ohio - Challenged in Continental

1981 - Arizona - Challenged in Saint David

1982 - Indiana - Challenged in Tell City for "profanity and using God's name in vain"

1983 - Alabama - Banned from classroom use at Scottsboro Skyline HIgh School for profanity

1984 - Tennessee - The Knoxville School Board chairman vowed to have "filthy books" removed from Knoxville's public schools and picked this book as the first target for it's profanity

1987 - Kentucky - Reinstated at the Christian County school libraries and English classes after being challenged for being vulgar and offensive

1988

Illinois - Challenged at the Wheaton-Warrenville Middle school

Michigan - Challenged at the Barrien Springs High School for profanity

West Virginia - Challenged in the Marion County schools

1989

Alabama - Removed from the Northside High School in Tuscaloosa because the book blasphemed

Arkansas - Removed from the White Chapel High School in Pine Bluff after objections from language

Tennessee

Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga because 'Steinbeck's known to have an anti-business attitude" as well as "being very questionable about his patriotism"

Challenged in Shelby County schools for offensive language

1990

Kansas - Challenged but retained in Salina tenth-grade English class for profanity and taking "the Lord's name in vain"

Texas - Challenged in the Riviera schools for profanity

1991

California - Challenged by a Fresno parent for profanity and racial slurs but retained and the child given an alternate assignment

Florida - Removed and later returned to the Suwannee High School library for being indecent

Pennsylvania - Challenged as curriculum material at the Ringgold High School in Carroll Township because the novel contained racial slurs

Tennessee - Challenged at the Jacksboro High School because the novel contains blasphemous language, excessive cursing, and sexual overtones

Virginia - Challenged as required reading in the Buckingham County schools for profanity

1992

Alabama - A coalition of community members and clergy in Mobile requested local school officials form a special textbook screening committee. This book was the first target for profanity and "morbid and depressing themes"

California - Challenged at Modesto High school for offensive and racist language

Florida - Challenged in the Duval County public school libraries for profanity, lurid passages about sex, statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled.

Iowa - Challenged at the Waterloo schools

Louisiana - Challenged at the Oak Hill High School in Alexandria for profanity

Ohio - Temporarily removed from Hamilton High School after a parent complained about its vulgarity and racial slurs

1993 - Arizona - Challenged at Mingus Union High School because of "profane language, moral statement, treatment of the retarded, and the violent ending"

1994

Georgia - Challenged at the Loganville High School for language

Tennessee - Pulled from a classroom by Putnam County superintendent for language and later reinstated

1995

Georgia - Challenged at the Stephen County Highs School library in Toccoa Falls for language

Kansas - Challenged at Galena school library for language and social implications

Minnesota - Retained at Bemidji schools after challenges to the book's questionable langauge

Virginia - Challenged but retained in Warm Springs High School

1997

Florida - Removed, restored, restricted and eventually retained at the Bay County school in Panama City. A citizen group, 100 Black United, Inc, requested the novel's removal and "any other inadmissible literary books that have racial slurs in them, such as using of the word 'n****r.'"

Illinois - Banned from Washington Junior High School in Peru for being age inappropriate.

Minnesota - Challenged but retained at the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School in St. Cloud after a parent complained of racist language lead to racist behavior and harrassment

Ohio - Challenged but retained in the Louisville high school English class for profanity

1998

Arizona - Challenged but retained in teh Bryan t school library because a parent complained the book "takes God's name in vain fifteen time and uses Jesus's name lightly."

California - Challenged in O'Hara Park Middle School in Oakley for racial epithets

Wisconsin - Challenged at the Barron School District

1999

Pennsylvania - Challenged but retained at West Middlesex High School despite objections to profanity

Wisconsin - Challenged at the Tomah School District for violence and language

2002

Michigan - Challenged in Grandville for racism, profanity and foul language

Mississippi - Banned from George County schools for profanity

2003 - Illinois - Challenged at Normal Community High School  "racial slurs, profanity, violence, and does not represent traditional values." Steinbeck's The Pearl was offered as an alternative, but the family also rejected.

2006 - Pennsylvania - Retained in the Greencastle-Antrim 10th grade English classes after a complaint was filed for "racial slurs" and profanity. 

2007

Iowa - Challenged at the Newton High School for profanity and portrayal of Jesus Christ. 

Kansas - parent challenge in Olathe calling it "worthless, profanity-riddled" and "derogatory towards African Americans, women, and the developmentally disabled."

2014

Minnesota - Challenged but retained in the Brainerd School District despite complaints from two parents who objected to "Jesus Christ" as a curse word, the use of racial slurs for African Americans, and the term "Japs." They argued the book undermined the values of respect they were trying to teach.

Sources

Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. 2014.

Guardian, Marshall University Library

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"Dances and Dames"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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