Utah becomes the first state to ban a whole list of books from schools: ‘A dark day’

Utah has become the first US state to ban a whole range of books from all schools, including Judy Blume novels, prompting one organisation to label the decision a “dark day for the freedom to read.”

The state’s Board of Education released a list of 13 books on Friday (2 August) which must immediately be pulled from schools shelves, to comply with a new rule that states that if a certain title is removed by three school districts, or by two school districts and five charter schools, it must be removed across the state.

The books include works by world-famous authors such as Judy Blume and Margaret Atwood – ironically the author of dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale.

The new ruling requires schools to physically “dispose” of them, the practicalities of which when discussed in June led board member Brent Strate to joke: “I don’t care if it’s shredded, burned, it has to be destroyed one way or another.” 

The list includes five titles by award-winning fantasy author Sarah J Mass: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Silver Flames, A Court of Wings and Ruin, and Empire of Storms.

Number-one New York Times best-selling author Ellen Hopkins is also out-of-favour: young-adult titles Tilt and Fallout are both on the list.

The other titles to be banned so far are:

• What Girls Are Made Of, by Elana K Arnold
• Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kaur
• Forever, by Judy Blume
• Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood
• Blankets, by Craig Thompson

Utah’s censorship was a “dark day”, said Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read programme director at PEN America, a not-for-profit organisation aiming to raise awareness for the protection of free expression worldwide, through the advancement of literature and human rights.

“The state’s no-read list will impose a dystopian censorship regime across public schools and, in many cases, will directly contravene local preferences,” she said. “Allowing just a handful of districts to make decisions for the whole state is anti-democratic, and we are concerned that implementation of the law will result in less-diverse library shelves for all Utahns.”

The guidelines issued to schools regarding disposal of the works are “vague” and “will undoubtedly result in dumpsters full of books that could otherwise be enjoyed by readers” Meehan added.

“While the final guidance stops short of calling for book burning, the effect is the same: a signal that some books are too dangerous, and that the state has the authority to prohibit them.

“We disagree. We stand with individuals and organisations across Utah in our opposition to the government-mandated no-read list and call on leaders to stop playing political football with the freedom to read.”

Let Utah Read, a coalition of organisations, librarians, teachers and parents, have launched a petition opposing the legislation.

“Unlike some legislators, who are out to make political hay and use national culture-war issues to divide us, Utahns understand that great American authors like Judy Blume, Sherman Alexie and Toni Morrison are not pornographers, and no one should be criminally charged for selling, giving or lending a book to a high-school student,” the petition reads.

Blume has previously spoken out against book bans, recalling how her works were removed from schools 40 years ago and had thought such censorship was a thing of the past.

“I came through the 80s when book banning was really at its height and it was terrible. Then libraries and schools began to get policies in place and we saw a falling off of the desire to censor books,” she said.

“Now it is back, it is back much worse, this is in America. It is back so much worse than it was in the 80s, because it’s become political.

“We have legislators out there trying to put through laws, I just read about one last week in my home state of Florida, saying girls can no longer talk about periods at school or among themselves.”