FARMINGTON, ME (November 28, 2022)—Students in University of Maine at Farmington Honors Banned Books In Performance class are inviting campus and community members to join them on Thur., Dec. 1, at 7 p.m., in Emery Community Arts Center on the UMF campus, for “Banned Books – a Performative Work,” a staged reading performance in the stand against censorship.
The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., at which time music that has been challenged or banned and selected by students will be played.
The reading includes adult content and language and is not intended for a young audience.
According to the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, the top three reasons why books are being banned or challenged are: “the material was considered to be ‘sexually explicit’, contained ‘offensive language’ or was ‘unsuited to an age group.’”
The books being banned often carry topics that make some people uncomfortable, which leads to them being banned or challenged by parents, teachers, librarians, school districts and more to try to protect students from material they feel is inappropriate or offensive.
Students in the Honors course have been studying the banning of books in the U.S. and around the world during the fall semester.
“As a class, we feel that people should not be telling others what they can or cannot read. Stories should be shared with anyone who is interested in reading them. They are topics that can be helpful, relatable and fascinating to readers and should not be removed from libraries. With this dramatization of banned books and music, we hope to raise awareness about the banning of books, and all media in general; and take a stand against censorship and promote free speech,” said a student representative of the class.
For more information contact: Lisa Gallant, lisagall@maine.edu
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
Image: https://www.umf.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2022/11/RP223-022.jpg
Photo Credit: UMF photo
