Reprint of Manila Bulletin Article - Which Book Would You Un-ban?

Which book would you un-ban?
By RONALD S. LIM
September 24, 2011, 12:22pm

MANILA, Philippines — Every year, from September 25 to October 1, the American Library Association (ALA) celebrates Banned Books Week, a celebration intended to highlight free and open access to information by spotlighting on successful or attempted banning of books across the United States.

The ALA accomplishes this by providing a list of over 100 books that have either been subject to banning, a challenge, or any form of restriction that prevents libraries from freely distributing it to its patrons. The list can be viewed here: http://www.abffe.org/ bbw-booklist.htm

During Banned Books Week, library patrons are usually encouraged to pick up a book from the list and also encourage other people to do the same.

As part of the banned Books Week celebration, the Students and Campuses Bulletin posed this question to local authors: “If you were to remove just one book from the banned books list, which book would it be and why?”

" This is like asking me which one of my kids I would save if they both fell off a boat. Ugh. Okay.
Fine. Harry Potter. Some people say it should be banned because it promotes witchcraft. That’s like saying that Winnie the Pooh promotes gluttony. Muggles.” – Samantha Sotto, author of “Before Ever After”

“To Kill a Mockingbird’’ by Harper Lee. I have no idea what this novel is doing in a banned list!

This is a fine work of literature, excellently written, with memorable characters, and about a topic that needed to be looked at the right time in America. That the book was banned because of ‘racial slurs’ is absurd.

I have no doubt that those who banned it were not comfortable with the larger Black-White racial problems in the US that the book brought up. The novel, told from the point of view of a young girl, Scout, focuses on a particular legal case that her father dealt with, in which a white woman accuses a black man of attempted rape. In fact, the white woman had been attracted to him.

Was this what made the people who banned the book uncomfortable? This question was raised in court by Scout’s father, the unforgettable Atticus Finch.” – Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, author of “Vigan and Other Stories”

“Looking over the list of books and authors , it reads like a Who’s Who of classic American fiction.

I think it would really be an honor to be included in ANY club (even a “Banned Books” club!) with authors like Isabel Allende, Aldous Huxley, Mark Twain,

Tobias Wolff. Looking over the list of banned books, I am most saddened by the inclusion of Edwidge Danticat’s Krik? Krak! which I thought was a great collection of short stories.

Of the banned books, the one I’ve read most recently was The Bookseller of Kabul. I read it a few years ago, and was grateful for Asne Seierstad’s warmly human eye, her skill at observation, and for her affording us a glimpse into the world of the Afghan wife.

The human heart is so unpredictable – I thought the book was not a blanket condemnation of the subordinate status of the wife in a traditional Afghan household, but rather a very empathetic portrait of a couple of women, who would never dream of changing the system which requires them to stifle their own desires, but who are resilient and resourceful and find ways to endure.” – Marianne Villanueva, author of “The Lost Language”

“If I could take just one book away from t e banned books list, this would be The Freedom Writers Diar y by Erin Grunwell.

I think it is important for high school students to know how important it is to have hope and care about making a difference in this world. Reading this true story teaches young people not to be afraid of believing in your dreams and making it happen. This is truly an inspiring story.” – Rosanna Gonzalez, author of “Restaurant Management 101”

“I was surprised to find ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee in the l ist of banned books.

The s tory is classical literature that deals with prejudice and racism. I think even if racism against blacks are a thing of the past, new forms of racism are emerging and that there is much to learn from that novel. Also, Atticus Finch serves a model lawyer even for professionals of this day.” – Rachel Khan, author of “Campus Journalism for Students”

Thank you, Teacher - reprint from Manila Bulletin

Here's another article in the Manila Bulletin that includes my 2-centavos worth.

Thank you, teacher
In gratitude, these personalities pay tribute to their teachers by simply saying 'thank you'…
By STUDENTS AND CAMPUSES BULLETIN TEAM
September 18, 2011, 8:00am

MANILA, Philippines — ‘’Marami akong pasasalamatan. Lahat siguro ng teachers ko noong high school. And of course sa St. Mary’s, mga RVM sisters. I started in the business young pero noong nag-aaral ako, talagang they guided me dahil sirang-sira ang schedule ko. Nagsa-summer ako para lang makahabol. And then kumukuha ako ng DepEd test, sa RVM retreat house ako pinakuha ng test para makapasa lang ako ng high school, para makuha ko ‘yung diploma ko. I owe it to them, sa lahat ng teachers ko in high school and of course sa St. Mary’s RVM sisters.’’ – VILMA SANTOS, actress.

‘’The teacher I appreciated most was my own mother – Dolores Aniceto Musngi. I have always been quite a loner, for most of my elementary and high school days. My mother’s body was half-paralyzed and her speech was very limited and yet she struggled to take care of me and my unmarried sister then, keep home, and teach us about values, persistence, hard work and love of God and family. My mother taught me that no matter the odds that are against you, if you try hard enough, success and happiness can be within your reach. She always told me to never give up.’’ – PETER MUSNGI, unit head of ABS-CBN Manila Radio and Sports division.

“Sister Consuelo Varela was my teacher in St. Theresa’s College, San Marcelino where I attended high school. She was also the principal. She was strict and fearsome and we were all terrified of her, until we became her students and enjoyed her protection. She pushed all of us to use our heads, reminding us that we had an obligation to give back to society. What I remember most was studying Shakespeare in her class her. She had us do little theatrical plays in the classroom. Those were memorable; they made Shakespeare’s work come to life. She made us excited about literature. I can still quote Lady Macbeth’s lines: Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.” – CECILIA MANGUERRA BRAINARD, author

“If I could thank one teacher, it would be my dad, Sonny Jaboneta. When I was six years old, he chided me that a younger cousin could read the newspaper already. That moment really taught me that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.” – JAY JABONETA, firestarter, Philippine Funds for Little Kids

“I would thank all my high school and college teachers, but ultimately I would thank Mr. Jesus de Silva, my fourth year class adviser and our Accounting teacher. He made Accounting perfectly clear for us, with his funny jokes. And he made our last year in high school the best we could possibly have. He is very proud of what I’ve become. – CARLA ABELLANA, actress

“Teacher Baba Paguia is one of my autistic son’s early teachers. She’s a gifted SpEd (special education) teacher who made a lot of breakthroughs during those years of early intervention for my Gio. Very creative... can you imagine miniature trampoline made out of ladies’ undies? She taught our yayas and me how to be consistent when doing behavior management at home with Gio. While addressing family issues with Gio, including those of his siblings, she was educating me not just on raising a child with autism, but on how to be a mother to all my three boys. Come to think of it, Teacher Baba IS one of my teachers. I would always think of her with so much love and gratitude.” – DANG KOE, chairman emeritus, Autism Society Philippines

“I would like to thank Dr. Judy Ick from the UP College of Arts and Letters. She was my teacher in three different classes, including Intro to Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature. Ma’am Ick had an ability to make works written in the 15th, 18th century relevant to our lives. She made stories come alive and made us realize that even though so much has changed since the time of Shakespeare, so much has remained the same in terms of racism, gender studies, politics, religion, etc. Ma’am Ick taught with such infectious enthusiasm that I looked forward to going to class every single day. Her approach to life and literature inspired me to pursue my passion and take the road less traveled.” – ANNA OPOSA, environmentalist and theater artist.

“I would thank the teacher (clinical supervisor) who gave me a failing grade during my last rotation at the Philippine General Hospital, a month before I was supposed to graduate. She taught me a real lesson in life – that you do not always reap what you sow, but the most important thing is falling forward and bouncing back with every misfortune that comes your way! That experience taught me to rise above life’s challenges and be resilient enough to pick up the pieces and move on. If I probably had it easy with that teacher, I wouldn’t have turned out the way I did.” – GENEVIEVE RIVADELO, pediatric physiotherapist and special educator

“The teacher that I appreciate the most is my grandmother Ruby Mangahas. She got me into music and loving it for the pure art that it is. I never thought I would like music but the more I talked to her, the more I spent time with her, the more she encouraged me to do it, to follow what I liked to do and to follow what’s in my heart. Until now I subscribe to that. If you do something, it has to be bigay todo, or just don’t do it.’’ – KELLEY MANGAHAS, band member, Kjwan

“Doreen Fernandez. I met her when I was a freshman at the Ateneo. She told me I was a writer long before I felt like one. The stresses of the writing life are many but with her firm belief in my ability, and her example, I learned to navigate the shoals of the writing life with fearlessness.” – MARIANNE VILLANUEVA, author of ‘’The Lost Language’’