The BIG Project

Somehow, a few weeks ago, I started thinking about the books that have been banned, and continue to be challenged in this country. I started doing a little research on the subject and found that many of these books would make my list of most favorite and influential stories (maybe that's the point: people don't want these kinds of clearly subversive books to influence people). I did a little counting and found out that there were exactly 25 weeks until banned book week. So, here's what I'm going to do:

25 Books in 25 Weeks

It's going to be a challenge, but I'm committed, I'm excited, and most importantly: I'm organized. I have the books divided up into categories. On each day of banned book week I'll discuss the books in the category at length, right here. What are the categories? I'm so glad you asked.

Day 1 - September 25th: Banned Books
Today will be my intro to the project. I'll discuss any interesting research I come across that covers why we, in a country that places such a high value on free speech, find ourselves banning books in the first place. The discussion will include a classic book that always seems to cause trouble, a book I'd never heard of before this project started, a book that I love which doesn't strike me as offensive in any way, and two childhood favorites of mine that seem to be banned all over the place, but don't fit neatly into any one category. These books will also be identified by their number on the list of the American Library Association's list of the Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books from 2000 – 2009.

The books covered today will be:

Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things – Carolyn Mackler
The Upstairs Room – Johanna Reiss
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain


Day 2 - September 26th: The Classic Banned Books
These are the books that scare people. They are often futuristic, dystopian, and infused with a science fiction tinged atmosphere. Humorously enough, you'll find people on both sides of the political aisle referencing these (most notably, 1984) to help prove their talking points. I've read them all before, but as I'm quickly learning, there is an inherent value in the re-read. I've been amazed at the details that I missed in some of my favorite books the first, second, and  sixty-seventh time through as a younger reader. Now I have a chance to see another level of what is really happening, and what really makes people uncomfortable with these titles.

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
1984 – George Orwell

Day 3 - September 27th: Another Day of Classics
Uh-oh. Sometimes people don't do what we expect, like, or program them to do. It's probably best if we don't let any of the innocents know about all that icky behavior though. It could give them inappropriate ideas...


Rabbit, Run – John Updike
Catcher In The Rye – J.D. Salinger
Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov


Day 4 - September 28th: Gay Day!
You can catch it from them. It's true. Best to keep these titles away from the children. The gays are always trying to snag new recruits with their seductive advantage of having to fend off hate for a lifetime, and a significantly smaller dating pool in which to swim. Ahh, the luxury of a non-majority sexuality...


And Tango Makes Three – Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
The Drowning of Stephen Jones – Bette Green
The Education of Harriet Hatfield – May Serton
Maurice – E.M. Forster


Day 5 - September 29th: Race Day
Maybe if we ignore it, they I mean, this uncomfortable topic will just go away. By the way, it's interesting to note that when exploring the banned book lists I couldn't find any books that were listed due to racial issues other than those dealing with the African American experience. I've read books where people behave in a racist manner to Chinese people, Jewish people, Indian (native) people, and Korean people. These books haven't made the list though. Why is that? What makes these books so different than the others? Isn't racism to all people something we should be concerned about? Or, as I fear, do the people banning the books have an interest in keeping their children from reading about Black people? Gosh, that might cause some...*gulp*... empathy toward them.


Uncle Tom's Cabin – Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Color Purple – Alice Walker


Day 6 - September 30th: Young Adult Literature
This is a pet day for me. I will just come out and say it: I love young adult literature. I think there is a wealth of wonderful writing available for the middle school/high school age person that is creative, funny, empathetic, and that directly relates to their current world experiences. I worked through a ton of personal issues with books from this genre, and it makes me crazy that these books are being pulled off the shelves in favor of sparkly Mormon vampires.


The Giver – Lois Lowry
The Great Gilly Hopkins – Katherine Patterson
Bridge To Terebithia – Katherine Patterson

Day 7 - October 1st: Young Adult Literature - Judy Blume Day
My mother (who is not a radical in any way) gave me Judy Blume books to read, and BLESS HER for it. If I hadn't had a copy of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret I wouldn't have made it through middle or high school. She's an amazing writer, and if you think that talking to your kids about religion, sexuality, puberty, masturbation, or death is awkward and uncomfortable then I say to you: read one of her books. Take a breath, and try again. She's got a sensitive, no nonsense approach, and she probably knows what's walking through the mind of the young person in question when these subjects are broached. Why do we take her off the shelves?


Forever – Judy Blume
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret – Judy Blume
Then Again, Maybe I Won't – Judy Blume


Day 8 - October 2nd: Books About Which I Know Nothing
I don't know why these two books are banned. I haven't ever read them. I've been alive long enough to know that Lord of the Flies ends badly, has violent components, and that there's been comparison between the book and what happened in the Stanford Prison Experiment, but other than that I know very little about this title. I know even less about the Faulkner. However, these two books showed up on the lists too many times to be ignored. Let's see what they have to say.


Lord of the Flies – William Golding
As I Lay Dying – William Faulkner


Sooooo, what do you think? Ambitious? Yes. I think so. But I'm very excited by the challenge, and I've already been around to my book shelves gathering up the offending titles and planning out my reading schedule. I've also taken a trip to my local library, and to Borders, where I learned a few things:

 1. Libraries are friendly. They arrange titles by author - alphabetically, and all the books are available in an organized manner, for free, and there are knowledgeable people there to help you.

2. Book stores are less friendly. They organize things by arbitrarily assigned categories. I didn't know that 1984 was a science fiction book, while Brave New World is literature. I also didn't know that Then Again, Maybe I Won't is in the section labeled Independent Reader, while Forever is Young Adult. And now, for optimal confusion, please understand that Are You There God, It's Me Margaret is available in both categories. Of course.

3. The people at Borders hate you.

 See? I've already learned new and wonderful things. I will be making much use of my library card. Let the reading begin!

Last weekend was the closing weekend of In Durang's Shorts, the phenomenal piece of comedic theatre presented by Iron Crow Theatre that took Baltimore by storm! It was a wonderful ride, and we meet tonight to map out our next steps as a theatre company. Get ready world; we will rock you, in a manner similar to Freddie Mercury. In that, we are gay and fabulous. Follow? Excellent. More updates to follow.

Last weekend was also the first three day weekend I've taken in awhile. I don't have much time off, so I tend to save it up. I had a lot of fun on my days off, but I also wasn't terribly smart about how I scheduled them. I never take days off to relax, so what do I do when I finally have a day? I fill it up with activities! On Saturday, we went to the Baltimore National Aquarium to look at the fishies. I haven't been since I was in middle school. It's still really cool, and the shark room still gives me the creeps. It's amazing timing that I had the creepy live shark experience this week, because in the days following I stumbled upon Damien Hirst's The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. Please enjoy:

Or if you prefer, how about this terrifying view?

That's a real tiger shark, preserved in formaldehyde. I think that my recent aquarium visit helped me "get" this piece when I found it this week. I used it in my presentation for my Modern Sculpture class. The artist, Damien Hirst is grouped in with the YBA (Young British Artists). This group also houses Sarah Lucas, a very cool artist, who was the focus of my presentation. I will be sure to go on about her at length in a future post.

After my day at the aquarium, we closed the show. On Sunday morning I participated in the MDSPCA's March For The Animals! D'Paul, Anna, and I had a great time marching as a pack.

I loved that the SPCA put the pack names on the shirts this year, so everyone knew that we were named The Cat's Pajamas! I'm a cat mom, but also an equal opportunity animal lover so it was great to see all the adorable pooches at the walk. Someday, when I have a house and a yard I will have a pug. I'm a teensy bit obsessed with them, so it's always a thrill when I meet one in person who is happy to meet me too. Check out my new friend! We played and snuggled for awhile. It was wonderful, and I promise I didn't steal him and take him home. Although who would blame me? We have the same smile!

I'm about to start a very sizable project, and I'll be announcing it in the coming days. It's pretty ambitious, but very exciting. I think it certainly goes along with my intentions to tackle new things and share them with the interwebs. Be on the lookout for a very cool, if not very nerdy announcement from me this week!

Kitten Karma

Do something good for an animal today! Donate to my pack for the Maryland SPCA's 2010 March for the Animals! We march this Sunday at the park, but there is still plenty of time to donate.

What Your Gift Does:
- $11 pays for one feline leukemia test

- $25 vaccinates 20 dogs for kennel cough

- $43 provides flea treatment and heartworm protection for a dog

- $100 spay surgery for a cat

- $300 pays for an animal’s care at our adoption center until it is adopted.This includes vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, food, and care.

My cat Diva was cared for by amazing people at the MDSPCA prior to her adoption. Bobby certainly would have ended up there if I hadn't gotten to him first. D'Paul just adopted his very first cat from the MDSPCA, and she's an immediately wonderful addition to his life. For us, the cats are dearly loved members of the family, and I couldn't be happier to donate my time and my dollars to this wonderful cause!

In conclusion - pets are wonderful and should be cared for when they're in need. Your gift could save a life while some cute little fuzzy is waiting for his forever home. Donate today!

The management wishes to apologize for the obnoxious act of making every link on this post take you straight to the donation page. Subtlety is not our strong suit.

Bhatratnatyam Boogie

I took my first classical Indian dance lesson on Monday, and it was really cool! And really hard! On Facebook there were approximately 30 people interested in taking the classes. So, of course, when I got there there was 1 person. Me! But I remained fearless, or at the very least, jovial. At the beginning and end of every session the group performs a prayer with movement that shows their respect for the floor and the space that they're working in, and it reminded me of theatre classes I've taken where we talked about monks who clean the floor and pray before and after they meditate and work in a space to show respect for it. Centering and mindful - I like it.

I have a ton of dance experience and none of it came in handy. I've got rhythm and I'm a little limber, but beyond that ballet wasn't a big assistant to me. There is lifting of the foot that you have all your weight held on, and holy sacred cow, is the tempo fast! The hands are really beautiful and watching the girls do them was so cool. My brain has a hard time making them happen as fast as they need to. I think I did better with the feet.

I'm looking forward to going back next week and learning more. The very patient and encouraging ladies who were teaching me said that this week was just a tough week for scheduling and that there would be more people next time. They were so sweet, and they never stopped smiling at me or telling me that I was moving at a good speed, even when I got frustrated. So, I am looking forward to next week when I have an hour of experience on the new newbies!

My thighs are killing me in a way that lets me know I'm getting hotter. Perhaps this will become a regular activity for me and my workout...although I'm certain I won't be asked to join the troupe anytime soon. So far I give it two big, and super respectful, thumbs up. It is awesome, and it is HARD.

Many New Things

I am an actor, student, corporate grunt, girlfriend, LGBTQ activist, and all-around eclectic individual. In the last few weeks I've found my way to the completely un-unique idea that making a conscious effort to expand my limits could be very valuable. This notion probably began when I started the first two classes at JHU for my Master of Liberal Arts degree. I'm studying Indigenous Cultures, and Modern Sculpture - both of which are way outside my realm of expertise. In this same semester, a theatre group to which I belong rehearsed and opened our first show, a comedy - which is also not my area of greatest comfort as an actor.

QUICK PLUG - We're Iron Crow Theatre and, frankly, we are incredible. Three more chances to see our inaugural showing of In Durang's Shorts!

Back to me. I'm looking for things to do that will either:

A) Take me beyond my immediate comfort range or level of expertise.

or

B) Improve the rest of the world, score a few karma points, or inspire useful thoughts.

That should be easy! Right? I intend to be fearless (hence the name of the blog), until I become wildly afraid. I begin tonight with dance lessons, but not just any dance lessons. I'm taking a series of Bhatratnatyam dance lessons through JHU. Wish me luck! I'm going to need it...