You don’t have to love every book but it is important to celebrate an individual’s freedom to read whatever they want.
That’s the message behind both Freedom to Read Week and the Banned Books Beat Club, an event coming to the St. Albert Public Library next Friday. It was a sleeper hit on the social calendar last year so staffers are excited to bring it back in much the same format as before.
Adult programming librarian Michelle Steinhusen said that there would be presenters and performers, plus a bit of a debate portion halfway through the evening’s festivities. That debate will consist of a scenario with half of the audience arguing for the censorship and the other half fighting for the freedom to keep offensive material.
She averred that it’s for debate purposes only. If the censorship group wins the debate, that doesn’t mean that the library will ban the material.
“We don’t do that at the library,” she confirmed with a jest.
“It’s to make the point that it’s not always an easy answer. Of course, we support intellectual freedom and of course, we don’t ban books but it’s not always clear-cut. It’s not always easy to just say, ‘Hey! Nope, we’re keeping this book, or we’re keeping this movie, or we’re keeping this program.’ Often, you have to justify it but there’s times when you have your own personal feelings. It’s nice that we have policy to fall back on. It’s just to point out to people that it’s not a given.”
This year’s presenters include the Bellerose High School Poetry Slam Team and Theodore Fox, a poet, fiction writer, performance artist, and writer in residence at Latitude 53 Gallery in Edmonton. He has a selection from Williams S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch in mind to review with the gathering.
“It’s experimental and it’s difficult. It deals with a lot of tough material,” Fox began.
“I think he’s a really interesting writer. His process of writing was so kinetic. Naked Lunch was his most challenged book. He was very devoted to the pursuit of truths about the world but from a poetic context. He had such a conviction so that through the poetry of language he could discover things that couldn’t be discovered by other means.”
Library assistant Geoff Manderscheid said that the presenters would read something from a banned book and then offer comments to the crowd. There might be some jaws agape at the evening’s material but then that’s the reason why celebrating the freedom to read is so important.
“I think you’re writing good material if someone is offended at some point,” he said. “It’s great that people are open to art and ideas and free expression in this community.”
The evening will also feature a 15-minute musical interlude by St. Albert’s own folk indie singer-songwriter Mackenna Babiuk. There will, once again, be a display of banned or challenged titles plus the mugshot photo booth where people can have their photos taken while holding their favourite banned books.
Participants can enjoy cranberry punch or espresso to fit the jazzy atmosphere. Steinhusen admitted that, despite the public interest, the library won’t be serving alcohol as it is important to make the evening accessible to the younger than 18 crowd. She said that many teens are very engaged with protecting freedom of speech and the freedom to read whatever they want.
“They’re quite passionate about things. We don’t want to limit the audience.”
When asked what her favourite banned book is, she replied, in typical Beat style, ‘That’s tough, man. I’ve got a lot.”
The Banned Books Beat Club takes place on Feb. 26 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Forsyth Hall on the main floor of the library. Attendance is free but people are asked to register online at sapl.libcal.com/event/2250313 in advance. The event is for attendees aged 15 and older only.
Freedom to Read Week runs from tomorrow through next Saturday.
For those whose interest in some different and perhaps more challenging reading materials, the library also offers its Offbeat Book Club that meets five times a year. Currently, participants are immersed in Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies. The group will meet to discuss on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Glasshouse Bistro at the Enjoy Centre. Visit offbeatbookclub.wordpress.com for more details.
