PREFACE
This book represents a careful examination of censorship in its many forms when
it comes to literature in America. While it does extend to works and challenges
outside of America, it generally focuses on the challenges within America in order
to focus on the notion of freedom and the limits of freedom. The new productions
of texts and new technologies will push censorship and discussions of what is
appropriate for young readers. This means that the set of challenged or banned
texts will continue to evolve, but this book will help to give context and reflection
to help readers navigate concerns of what texts are appropriate and necessary in
years to come.
Although there is much discussion of books being banned, it is important to rec-
ognize that challenges to books can have a significant impact upon their sales and
reputation. A banning can be an outright removal from a classroom curriculum or
a library. In more extreme cases, banning books meant that it was illegal to sell
them even to adults, as was the case with James Joyce’s Ulysses, D. H.
Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, and William S.
Burroughs’s Naked Lunch, though all of these controversial novels were eventually
made legal again. Challenges come when there are attempts to ban a book, but the
attempts do not result in a full-on removal. However, this lack of banning does not
mean that the books and authors do not face any consequences. In some cases,
the books may be put into restricted sections of libraries, making it more difficult
for young readers to access them. Challenges can also have the effect of making
teachers wary of discussing or recommending these books, meaning that while
there is not an official ban, the fear of parental complaints can lead to what is
effectively a removal from class discussion. Of course, not all authors view these
