Censorship
I am amazed that censorship is still a part of our 21st century world. At first when I was 'politely' asked to remove a link in one of my novels The Garbage Collector on Smashwords, due to the 'graphic' nature of the subject matter; I reluctantly removed the link after some time of thinking it over.
Now my second novel (part of the Taming The Golden Boys of Central High); Summer of my First Time ( Summer Of My First Time) has been banned from the site due to one of the characters being under the age of 18. I would have liked to have acquiesced with their request that I write that all characters are 18 and older; however the point of the entire series is a 'coming of age' story line when teenagers are growing up and discovering life and love.
I'm sorry Smashwords, young adults at some point discover love and sex. It is a part of growing up. I think about when I was 16 and 17 years of age, and the experiences that I had at that time are not unlike what I've written about. To be honest about things, as a teacher in the public school system I've heard the teenagers sharing experiences very much like the ones that I've written about in this story; and not to mention that my #1 best seller The Princess & The Thug was actually written when I was a child of 17 years old still in high school. As a matter of fact it is loosely based on a chance encounter of meeting a young man much like Miles in the story.
But my point of this blog is to ask, at what point does censorship of what we write ends? As authors do we not have the write to tell our character stories as they are told to us? Also where and in what world are these innocent minded kids living? Have you watched what is playing on public TV lately? And you seriously have a problem with me writing a story about a group of teenagers experiences growing up?
I'm just wondering, is there anyone out there that understands my point or would like to weigh in on the subject matter? You don't have to agree with it, but at least let us discuss our rights to present our characters in the light in which we see them.
Now my second novel (part of the Taming The Golden Boys of Central High); Summer of my First Time ( Summer Of My First Time) has been banned from the site due to one of the characters being under the age of 18. I would have liked to have acquiesced with their request that I write that all characters are 18 and older; however the point of the entire series is a 'coming of age' story line when teenagers are growing up and discovering life and love.
I'm sorry Smashwords, young adults at some point discover love and sex. It is a part of growing up. I think about when I was 16 and 17 years of age, and the experiences that I had at that time are not unlike what I've written about. To be honest about things, as a teacher in the public school system I've heard the teenagers sharing experiences very much like the ones that I've written about in this story; and not to mention that my #1 best seller The Princess & The Thug was actually written when I was a child of 17 years old still in high school. As a matter of fact it is loosely based on a chance encounter of meeting a young man much like Miles in the story.
But my point of this blog is to ask, at what point does censorship of what we write ends? As authors do we not have the write to tell our character stories as they are told to us? Also where and in what world are these innocent minded kids living? Have you watched what is playing on public TV lately? And you seriously have a problem with me writing a story about a group of teenagers experiences growing up?
I'm just wondering, is there anyone out there that understands my point or would like to weigh in on the subject matter? You don't have to agree with it, but at least let us discuss our rights to present our characters in the light in which we see them.
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Cindy wrote: "Cindy May says,Hi Alm,
I managed to delete everything after "Says" so here we go again.
I agree with what you say, Alm, in general. I think we all accept that a case for censorship can be ..."
Well said Cindy May, I couldn't agree with you more. Thanks for taking the time to not only read about it, but commenting. It's good for us to share and inform each other regarding these issues. You never know how and when you will lose certain rights and the more you are aware of the process, the more time you have to prepare and engage if necessary.
Alm
Why do censorious bigwigs assume that children and young adults don't have sex lives? Little kids "play doctor". Boys and girls alike, they also very often masturbate. Kids are curious about and frequently active in "consenting children" sex events. Kids have a right to "diddle" themselves. They also have a right to engage in "you show me yours and I'll show you mine" activities. Are we authors going to be obliged to eliminate truths such as these from our work - just because it offends some puritanical executive in the Amazon or Smashwords hierarchies. This arbitrary censorship is starting to smack of prohibition. We have heard it all before: Do what I say, not what I do. Perhaps the censors don't have children. Anyone who has children knows that they are just about always engaging in some kind of sexual play.
Suzanne wrote: "Why do censorious bigwigs assume that children and young adults don't have sex lives? Little kids "play doctor". Boys and girls alike, they also very often masturbate. Kids are curious about and f..."lolo Suzanne you are so right. It is typical American where we like to sweep things under the proverbial rug and make like everything is nice. Then we wonder why so many of us are either repressed closet freaks or promiscious sex addicts. Somewhere we need to find balance with sexuality been a natural part of a healthy growth process. It's okay for us to be curious and to explore some of our curiosity, however it is important that as adults we help get our children the right information about their sexuality and becoing mature adults.
It certainly is important. Parents can discreetly find out about their kids' interests in sexual play and just as discreetly talk to them about it. I raised my kids in France where sex is as logical as ice cream among kids. They don't encourage children to "have sex" as it were. But they don't stop them playing doctor and would rather it happen at home than in some hidden, scary place far away. My kids were and their nanny's grandchildren were all in the next room with the door closed one Sunday as Nanny cooked the giant Sunday lunch. She knocked. "What are you kids doing in there?" She called through the door. "Playing doctor." tumbled out a chorus of shrill voices one on top of the other. "Florence is the doctor. Bruno is the nurse. I'm the patient now." called out my eldest, Daisy. "But we're switching." said her sister. "It's my turn to be the doctor now."Nanny backed away, still stirring a bowl of some delicious concoction and said, "All right then. Don't hurt each other." We adults smiled indulgently and went on chatting and drinking apéritifs.
Suzanne wrote: "It certainly is important. Parents can discreetly find out about their kids' interests in sexual play and just as discreetly talk to them about it. I raised my kids in France where sex is as logica..."You know I actually watch quite a bit of foreign films and drama; I must say that I am often impressed with their protrayal of celebration of sexuality among their young. I'll never forget watching quite a few Asian dramas where the young boy experiences his first "wet dream/ cum". It was interesting for me to watch as an American to see a cultural that embraces their children sexual growth.
As a parent I've always strived to have those open conversations with my child. I sincerely believe that as parents if we open up those channels of communications there will be far less sexual crimes done to children because they would be learning boundaries and who is allowed and who isn't allowed to touch them. It also gives them voice to say NO! Thank you for sharing and having such an open and engaging conversation...
Alm
Hi Alm,
I managed to delete everything after "Says" so here we go again.
I agree with what you say, Alm, in general. I think we all accept that a case for censorship can be made for religious, ethnic or similar hate material that incites people to go out and kill.
What we have stumbled into of late on Amazon and Smashwords seems to be that if 16 or 17 year olds have sex in an area of the world where it is legal to do so, it is verboten to publish, whilst incest is another nono.
A novel where a character kills his legal age sister is fine. There's nothing bad about it, just a natural healthy pastime. If he fancies a spot of cannibalism and has her for lunch, it is perfectly OK, but if he sleeps with her, NO WAY.
Can we seriously say that murder is OK, cannibalism is OK and that two seventeen year olds discovering sex or consensual adult incest is a No-No? If we zap the last two, then I think we must zap every book that has any violence in it at all. I think the phone directory would still be OK, but the Bible and The Wind in the Willows would both have to go
Your coming of age books reflect the reality that we know is out there. There was a real case a while back where a teacher actually fell over two kids doing what they shouldnt do at night, so they got expelled. If you put that in a novel, then it is likely to get pulled, even though the age of consent in many US states is 16.
In one of my novels, The Lady and the Slut the central theme is how our background often determines our fate. One of my two characters comes from the wrong side of the tracks with a trash mother. As a result, she is condemned as trash as a child. It shouldn't happen, but it does and it gets me mad that it happens.
The novel is set in England, and the other girl is from a titled family so goes on the "Deb" circuit. The rich girl also has a background problem with a domineering mother, and this influences her actions.
I think that issues such as these or your coming of age issues are relevant. A novel can often get us thinking about social issues in a way that a dry as dust social study does not. Surely Dickens is the classic example of this?
My novel challenges our complacent attitude to how we trash people. If authors are banned from realism then all that we end up with is a make believe world that everyone knows is fantasy.
Good luck
CM