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censorship
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From: NJSawicki at aol.com <NJSawicki>
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 19:06:00 EDT
With regard to Kim and Frane's comments:
Educational publishing, or textbook publishing, is different from trade publishing in the U.S. While I did not work in textbook publishing it is a far more conservative business because of textbook adoptions. Some states allow school systems in the state to select the textbooks they will use but other states...Texas, for instance, require the school systems to use the same textbook. It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop a single textbook, and publishers want the adoptions. Even U.S. history can be
"watered down," so as not to offend. Not all textbook publishers play into it, just as all educators in Texas do not agree with state policy. That they must abide by it is one thing but many teachers use trade books in the classroom which offer a broader and different point of view. The U.S. is a country in which states' rights is important and there is tremendous difference in opinion/policy from state to state and also within each state.
Trade publishing is far more eclectic, and even editors agree to disagree which is as it should be. While one publisher/editor asked that small bottles of rum on a store shelf not be in an illustration, another editor/publisher may not have asked for the change. In many states in the U.S., it is against the law to sell beer, wine, and liquor in grocery stores. As far as Diane Wolfer's novel is concerned, I can think of many editors/publishers who would not be put off by the theme, as well as the choices the main character faces. They would care about how well the novel is crafted, and even then there could be disagreement just as there has been during the discussions about
"The Red Tree." I do not believe there is wholesale censorship in trade publishing, or in the U.S. which is not to suggest it does not exist in some communities...it does just as it does in other countries. With a society as diverse as the U.S., there is a tremendous difference of opinion, values, standards, etc., and generalizing about anything is difficult. I think too...publishers may sugar coat the reason a book is rejected by a U.S. publisher. It is easier to blame the U.S. market, etc. It is not done out of malice but a desire not to be hurtful. If I had a dime for every time I
"lied" about the reason I rejected a book, or a manuscript, I would not play the lottery! I hope librarians, and educators in the U.S. who are part of this discussion may have some observations about censorship which would be especially interesting for writers from Australia and elsewhere to hear. Norma Jean
Received on Tue 23 Jul 2002 06:06:00 PM CDT
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 19:06:00 EDT
With regard to Kim and Frane's comments:
Educational publishing, or textbook publishing, is different from trade publishing in the U.S. While I did not work in textbook publishing it is a far more conservative business because of textbook adoptions. Some states allow school systems in the state to select the textbooks they will use but other states...Texas, for instance, require the school systems to use the same textbook. It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop a single textbook, and publishers want the adoptions. Even U.S. history can be
"watered down," so as not to offend. Not all textbook publishers play into it, just as all educators in Texas do not agree with state policy. That they must abide by it is one thing but many teachers use trade books in the classroom which offer a broader and different point of view. The U.S. is a country in which states' rights is important and there is tremendous difference in opinion/policy from state to state and also within each state.
Trade publishing is far more eclectic, and even editors agree to disagree which is as it should be. While one publisher/editor asked that small bottles of rum on a store shelf not be in an illustration, another editor/publisher may not have asked for the change. In many states in the U.S., it is against the law to sell beer, wine, and liquor in grocery stores. As far as Diane Wolfer's novel is concerned, I can think of many editors/publishers who would not be put off by the theme, as well as the choices the main character faces. They would care about how well the novel is crafted, and even then there could be disagreement just as there has been during the discussions about
"The Red Tree." I do not believe there is wholesale censorship in trade publishing, or in the U.S. which is not to suggest it does not exist in some communities...it does just as it does in other countries. With a society as diverse as the U.S., there is a tremendous difference of opinion, values, standards, etc., and generalizing about anything is difficult. I think too...publishers may sugar coat the reason a book is rejected by a U.S. publisher. It is easier to blame the U.S. market, etc. It is not done out of malice but a desire not to be hurtful. If I had a dime for every time I
"lied" about the reason I rejected a book, or a manuscript, I would not play the lottery! I hope librarians, and educators in the U.S. who are part of this discussion may have some observations about censorship which would be especially interesting for writers from Australia and elsewhere to hear. Norma Jean
Received on Tue 23 Jul 2002 06:06:00 PM CDT
