WRITERS READ BANNED BOOKS

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”
― Oscar Wilde

How many of your favorite books have been banned--from Catcher in the Rye to Lolita to Harry Potter? Would you be the writer you want to be if you had been unable to read Animal Farm, Alice in Wonderland, and the Satanic Verses?

Who has the right to tell your what to read, watch, think or write? Do you believe in the thought police? Not I! I believe a writer must be brave enough to think and claim her own thoughts, to have the courage of her convictions.

I remember as a young teen every year a list of banned movies was published in church and we, as a congregation, were expected to take the oath not to see any of these "dangerous" films. I crossed my fingers during the oath and held onto the list for future reference. I make it a point to reread a banned book once a month for inspiration as a writer. Keep reading. Stay inspired by writers who broke the rules and showed the world another side of its face. WRITE ON!