Maus
So I've talked about banned books here before. Now it's the turn for a graphic novel: the McMinn county school board voted to ban 'MAUS', the Pulitzer-winning graphic novel by Art Spiegelman, based on eight curse words and an illustration of a woman the school board objected to (it's a mouse!). A Pulitzer-winning novel is what I think the students of McMinn county would need to help improve the abysmal 33.3% score they have in English Language Arts. But no. Let the 'conservatives' not letting children learn about the world and diversity and keep thinking about ways to make them more ignorant. A child that does not learn the dangers of authoritarianism or fascism will never recognize it. And that's this school board's goal.
MAUS is a very accessible way to teach students the horrors of the holocaust and what the Nazis did, hence why white supremacists would target it. The graphic novel is based on the author's father's recollections of WW2. It's not a comic book with cartoon Nazi characters. Is is basically what Spiegelman's father lived, serialized and presented in a an accessible way. They would not have that in Tennessee, right?
From wiki: Maus is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Art Spiegelman. Serialized from 1980 to 1991, it depicts Spiegelman interviewing his father about his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. The work employs postmodernist techniques and represents Jews as mice, Germans as cats, Poles as pigs, Americans as dogs, the English as fish, the French as frogs, and the Swedish as deer. Critics have classified Maus as memoir, biography, history, fiction, autobiography, or a mix of genres. In 1992, it became the first (and to date only) graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize (the Special Award in Letters).
The fact that the people of this school board would ban such an important book and would turn their faces when the students must do active shooter drills never ceases to amaze me. Creeping fascism with a smile and disguised as 'good intentions' basically. Anti-Semite tropes abound in the Fox News universe (Soros, am I right?) and these people have a healthy dose of poison coming from Fucker Clarkson and that other Nazi blond cunt with a tv program.
Of course it is just one more of the fake outrage bullshit fuckery we have to put up coming from the GQP, the MAGAts and the bigots. Don't believe me? There's the green M&Ms, Minnie Mouse's pantsuit and now MAUS. But I think that living in the conservative bubble of Tennessee really promotes that White Supremacist environment where banning an award-winning graphic novel can happen.
And people have sprung up with ideas on how to help kids understand and study the banned graphic novel. And people are also donating MAUS to libraries. Kudos to them. But you know what would be better? Running for a school board. It's not that difficult. Proof is, the white supremacists in McMinn county did just that. So, so can you. What are you waiting for? You did Nazi that coming? The Nazis are here, Paul Revere.
XOXO
P.S. I just ordered the graphic novel. I'll have it in my hands in a few days. Huntley told me all this fuckery basically made it a best-seller again.
P.P.S. I found this FANTASTIC guide! Woot woot!
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Hear, hear! Good post!
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks, Debra!
DeleteI can't with their blind ignorance and malicious intent!
XOXO
So, they banned it from the library and it shot to the top of Amazon's best seller list. Their attempt at censorship is failing right in front of their eyes.
ReplyDeleteOh yes.
DeleteThey think that by banning a book the book will disappear. Idiots. But it's a very conservative mindset.
XOXO
Stephen King was all over Twitter recently telling people to find and buy and read every book these Nazi 2.o's wanna ban. I also ordered my copy of Maus!
ReplyDeleteLove Stephen King!
DeleteAnd reading each and every one of the banned books is the best way to make sure they live on. Yay for Maus!
XOXO
I think that is a great book. As uncomfortable and upset as i get about the holocaust it must be done and never not taught or learnt. A jewish lady I saw in an interview said everybody should confront what happened in some form to feel the horror and keep those peoples memories alive. I'll never forget my visit to the holocaust museum in DC. I came out a mess just like i did at the Anne Frank House. Two of the most important places I've been.
ReplyDeleteThis country is appalling me more and more each day...especially since some want this erased or are claiming it never happened....much like how many claim the pandemic is all fake. Fucking wackos.
It is a great book!
DeleteIt's well written and it tells a true story in an easy, compelling way. That lady was right! Everybody should know what happened to millions of people so it does not happen again. And I feel you with visiting the Holocaust museum. I visited the one here in Chi and got physically sick. Seriously. I had to sit down and chill it was so powerful. Everybody should go.
This country is indeed fucked. Not beyond redemption, but very close. It's like people live in two different worlds...
XOXO
You know my opinion of books ad reading.
ReplyDeleteI think it's most excellent that bookstores are also helping the cause by putting Banned Book displays front and center. Wil Wheaton started a donation campaign...the bookstore had to hire extra help to handle the incoming copies and telephone calls from people around the world wanting to donate more copies.
Knowledge is power. That's the reason the White Supremacists continue to keep the lower classes ignorant. Any way we can fight that - we must. XOXO
Oh, Knowledge IS indeed power.
DeleteThat's why the bigots and racists try to hinder it at every step. The thing that happened with Maus should happen with every banned book every time.
XOXO
One of the most important accounts I follow on Twitter is the Auschwitz Museum (@AuschwitzMuseum) . They post information about a prisoner that was born that day and their fate, daily. It’s a powerful reminder of this horrific time in history. They also have various posts on their website to dig deeper into this reality.
ReplyDeleteThese homegrown nazis must be stopped. People need to open their eyes before it’s too late. Remember, not doing anything because it doesn’t impact you doesn’t work. They’ll get around to you eventually. We must be vigilant.
XOXO 👨🏼❤️💋👨🏽
Yes!
DeleteThe Auschwitz Museum's account is a must follow. Heartbreaking and necessary. The desire of some people to erase Nazi history tells you how important it is to teach it.
And yes, first they came for the Jews and I didn't do anything....
XOXO
Thank you for going the extra yard, dear. I was very distressed when I first learned about this. And, yes, deplorables are taking over local offices. It's a very grassroots effort to undermine democracy and free speech. Glad to see kids are taking up the gauntlet. Banned book clubs rock. Kizzes.
ReplyDeleteOh, you can imagine how I felt when I heard about it.
DeleteFucking Nazis. And they ARE taking over from the bottom up. That's why I keep telling people that we need to get involved and run for dog catcher if necessary.
And the kids are all right. They'll find a way.
XOXO
Thank you! I didn't even know it existed!
ReplyDelete