DiscussMormonism.com

“DP” wrote:Stephen King is a good author — though not particularly to my taste (although I quite liked — and almost immediately lost — a book of his on the craft of writing that I bought several years ago during an autumn cruise along the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada) — and, obviously, a very successful one. But he doesn’t always strike me as a careful thinker.

In this story, for example, he claims that one of his books has been “banned in Utah.” But, of course, it hasn’t. If you want to buy it through an Utah bookstore, you still can. And it’s probably still available in many if not most public libraries in the state.

What I take from the story is that the book is no longer on the approved list of books for purchase by public school libraries in the state and probably, too, that it won’t feature on reading lists for the public school curriculum.

But it was probably never part of the public school curriculum in the first place. The vast majority of books, even the vast majority of universally acclaimed classics, aren’t part of the curriculum. There simply isn’t time to include all of the books that it would be good to include; choices must inevitably be made.

And the same is true, mutatis mutandis, for public school libraries. They can’t include all books. They are relatively small, and choices must be made. Many, many worthwhile and valuable books won’t be sitting on the library shelves of public elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools. Even large university libraries with collections of hundreds of thousands or even millions of books don’t include all books and journals. They can’t. It’s physically and financially impossible that it be otherwise. And even the largest such libraries will have areas of strength and, unfortunately, areas of weakness. Decisions must inevitably be made.

I can understand that an author might take umbrage at his book being omitted from lists of books to be purchased across the public school libraries of an entire state, and that he would be disappointed. But it’s nonsense to speak of this as a statewide ban, which it clearly isn’t. Nor, really, is it censorship. Yes, some books will be approved for purchase and some won’t. But that is perfectly unavoidable. It cannot be otherwise. If I can buy only one burger and I choose a double cheese burger, that isn’t a crime against bacon mushroom burgers. If I have money for only one book and I choose to purchase Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea rather than H. G. Wells’s War of the Worlds, I’m neither banning Wells nor censoring him.

“BYU.edu” wrote:On July 6, Stephen King's novella collection, "Different Seasons," joined Utah’s official banned book list for its “objective sensitive material.” King posted his shock and frustration over the ban on X on July 14, 2026.

Each statewide book ban in Utah is currently the result of amendments made to the “Sensitive Materials in Schools” Act in 2024. Rep. Ken Ivory, R-Salt Lake, and Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Davis, Salt Lake, sponsored HB29. Gov. Spencer Cox, R-Utah signed the bill into law on March 18, 2024.

According to this law, “A public school or an LEA may not: adopt, use, distribute, provide access to, or maintain in the school setting … or permit a speaker or presenter in the school setting to display or distribute sensitive materials.”

In an attempt to protect students from illicit pornography, the bill classifies flagged content as objective or subjective sensitive material. Both young adult and adult novels are on the ban list, featuring themes surrounding sexual activity, abuse, substance use and profanity.

Utah’s active statewide school book removal framework is House Bill 29. Under this law, when three school districts, or two districts plus five charter schools, classify a title as objective sensitive material, the Utah State Board of Education must place that title on a statewide removal list. That means determinations made by a small share of local systems can trigger mandatory removal across every public school in the state.

...Even large university libraries with collections of hundreds of thousands or even millions of books don’t include all books and journals. They can’t. It’s physically and financially impossible that it be otherwise. And even the largest such libraries will have areas of strength and, unfortunately, areas of weakness. Decisions must inevitably be made...

Marcus wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 18, 2026 12:32 am

...Even large university libraries with collections of hundreds of thousands or even millions of books don’t include all books and journals. They can’t. It’s physically and financially impossible that it be otherwise. And even the largest such libraries will have areas of strength and, unfortunately, areas of weakness. Decisions must inevitably be made...

This is a side issue, but DCP is doing nothing more than showing his ignorance in this rant. Libraries are no longer limited by physical constraint as virtually all offer electronic access as well as physical access to writings.

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 18, 2026 9:25 am

1. What Girls Are Made Of — Elana K. Arnold
2. Oryx and Crake — Margaret Atwood
3. Forever… — Judy Blume
* * *
36. Different Seasons — Stephen King

Why just Clash of Kings? This list is just arbitrary and random.

sock puppet wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 20, 2026 4:47 pm

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 18, 2026 9:25 am

1. What Girls Are Made Of — Elana K. Arnold
2. Oryx and Crake — Margaret Atwood
3. Forever… — Judy Blume
* * *
36. Different Seasons — Stephen King

Why just Clash of Kings? This list is just arbitrary and random.

Different Seasons??? How many of those on the book banning decision board have watched the movie Shawshank Redemption (and liked it)? Or Stand By Me? Both were sourced from two of the four 'seasonal' stories included in this volume. A third one is the Apt Pupil about an American teen discovering his San Diego area neighbor is an old Nazi operative hiding out, and uses it as leverage to blackmail the old Nazi into assisting the teen kill people and bury their bodies in the basement of the Nazis house. The fourth, the Breathing Method, is bio fantasy--a pregnant woman gives birth despite being decapitated in a car accident.

Very bad stuff for school kids to read.

All the while Songs of Solomon and Revelations slip by, as they are in the Holy Bible. Go figure.

drumdude wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 20, 2026 10:21 pm

sock puppet wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 20, 2026 4:47 pm

Different Seasons??? How many of those on the book banning decision board have watched the movie Shawshank Redemption (and liked it)? Or Stand By Me? Both were sourced from two of the four 'seasonal' stories included in this volume. A third one is the Apt Pupil about an American teen discovering his San Diego area neighbor is an old Nazi operative hiding out, and uses it as leverage to blackmail the old Nazi into assisting the teen kill people and bury their bodies in the basement of the Nazis house. The fourth, the Breathing Method, is bio fantasy--a pregnant woman gives birth despite being decapitated in a car accident.

Very bad stuff for school kids to read.

All the while Songs of Solomon and Revelations slip by, as they are in the Holy Bible. Go figure.

I wonder if The Afore will read the full story of Sodom and Gomorrah to his grandchildren. It’s a real family favorite. And it’s right there in the good old Quad.