Banned Books Week Events

Banned Books Week celebrates our freedom to read, by highlighting banned or challenged books! Lots of events are happening virtually during Banned Books Week, and anyone is welcome to attend.

Banned Books Week Events

Redlands Community Readout     

    Tuesday, September 29, 6:00–7:30pm    

    Via Zoom, Meeting ID: 839 9254 4422, Password: 898064 

Help to build a virtual reading community at the U of R and across the city by sharing a “banned” book to raise awareness of censorship in the U.S. Read aloud a passage from your favorite challenged book. Novels and Nonfiction, pre-select 2-3 paragraphs; Picture books and Graphic Novels 2-3 pages. Listeners welcome!

    Sponsors: Diversity Initiatives, Johnston Center for Integrative Studies, Armacost Library, and Friends of the A.K. Smiley Public Library

Redlands Community Book Drive    

    Monday, September 28 – Friday, October 2, 10:00–12:00pm 

Drop- off your gently worn books in a bin at Hunsaker Lounge. ALL books will be donated to high schools in Redlands and in Ghana. Lavern Clerk’23 (in photo, left side), a global business major has been collecting and donating book since she was in high school.

Bless Me, Ultima: A Banned Book Discussion

    Wednesday, September 30, 6:00–7:30pm 

    Via Zoom, Meeting ID: 890 8579 5230, Password: 898064

Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima (Warner Books, 1972) is classic coming-of-age novel with strong elements of magical realism. It is consistently challenged for reasons including: “occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence” as reported by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. Join a panel conversation on the rich literary heritage of Anaya’s work in an age of censorship. This program is open to the whole city of Redlands.
    Sponsors: Diversity Initiatives, Johnston Center for Integrative Studies, Órale, Armacost Library, and Friends of the A.K. Smiley Public Library

Banned Books Week 2020: Virtual Art Workshop with Duan Kellum from SKOOL BOIZ

    Thursday, October 1, 5:00–7:00pm

    Via WebEx
    Literary expert Jeffery Summers says it best, “Fahrenheit 451 is a novel based in a dystopian society that burns books to control dangerous and unhappy concepts.” The burning of books is the ultimate form of censorship. By evolving the iconic number 451, the temperature at which paper burns, we are stating that we understand that there are still elements that want to censor what we read, say, hear and even think.
    Our project will be broken up into two parts. In part one participants will create a stencil and put it on a shirt. University of Redlands community members can download and print the stencil image here. You can either wait until the workshop to cut it out or feel free to do this before our meeting. Secondly, we will create a message about censorship as it relates to a piece of literature. Participants are asked to select a book that is/was banned and recreate the book cover or take a favorite quote from a piece of literature that is/was banned. In addition, participants are also encouraged to create an original image/graphic depicting censorship. This will culminate in taking either the image/graphic or original art piece and create iron-on. Using basic materials participants you will transfer the image onto a garment, tote or other material.
    What you will need: Crayons, sand paper (medium grit), scissors, newspaper/scrap paper, iron, construction paper, X-acto knife, fabric paint/ink, stencil/dabbing brush, table covering/protection, drawing paper, pencil/pen, banned book, and -t-shirts, tote bag, or material to print on (2 per participant). 
    Sponsor: Diversity Initiatives and Johnston Center for Integrative

And Tango Makes Three
    Monday, October 5, 4:00–5:00pm 

    Via Webex 
For Banned Books Week and Coming Out Week, the Pride Center will host a reading of “And Tango

Makes Three,” a children’s book about gay penguins living at the Central Park Zoo. These penguins, Roy and Silo, mate for life and raise a family together. Following the reading, we will discuss the story. Why was it challenged, and what effect does banning LGBTQ+ books have on queer youth? 

    Sponsor: Pride Center

Finally, the top 10 most challenged books of 2019, from data collected by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, are as follows. When available at the Armacost Library, a link is provided to the book record - make use of our curbside pickup program to check out these books:

• George by Alex Gino Reasons: challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure”
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin Reasons: challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, for “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased
• A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller Reasons: Challenged and vandalized for LGBTQIA+ content and political viewpoints, for concerns that it is “designed to pollute the morals of its readers,” and for not including a content warning
• Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth Reasons: Challenged, banned, and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate” 
• Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis Reasons: Challenged and restricted for featuring a gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ content; for being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint
• I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas Reasons: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for a transgender character, and for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged”
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones”
• Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier Reasons: Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and for concerns that it goes against “family values/morals”
• Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling Reasons: Banned and forbidden from discussion for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use “nefarious means” to attain goals
• And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson illustrated by Henry Cole Reason: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content

Southland Ensemble to visit University of Redlands May 17

University of Redlands students and the renowned experimental music group Southland Ensemble will join forces on Friday, May 17 at 3 pm in Old Peppers Gallery to perform poetry by Jackson Mac Low and music by Barney Childs. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

The workshop, affiliated with Professor Alisa Slaughter's May Term class "Arts and Inquiry," will feature discussion and performances by Mac Low, a renowned author and artist in spoken, visual and musical performance genres, and Childs, a composer known for exploring indeterminacy and extended techniques who taught at Johnston and served as composer-in-residence from 1971 to 1996.

Armacost Library Special Collections holds the papers and manuscripts of Barney Childs and many representative works by Mac Low can be found in the library collection.

A program for the afternoon workshop includes:

• Mac Low, 5 Young Turtle Asymmetries 
• Mac Low, Is That Wool Hat My Hat?
• Mac Low, Asymmetries (student and Southland Ensemble performance)
• Mac Low, Asymmetries (Southland Ensemble performance)
• Childs, Operation Flabby Sleep
• Childs, The Crab on the Mirror

The score for Childs' Operation Flabby Sleep, written in 1968 and dedicated to Harold Budd, consists of a grid of 27 boxes containing various markings and fragments of musical notation. Performers are instructed to render the empty space in each box as silence, and use the markings to produce sound according to a set of basic principles. A minimum of three performers are needed to realize the score. It is up to the musicians, individually and by collective agreement, to work out the pacing, musical content, and expressive range of the piece.

Childs' Crab on the Mirror for viola and cello is a traditionally notated piece, but it too has a trick up its sleeve. The music takes the form of a "mirror canon" in which the part for one musician is the same as the part for the other musician, only in reverse and melodically inverted. Both musicians can therefore play from the same page of sheet music, but one of them must turn it upside down.  This compositional technique dates from the 16th century, and Childs' playful homage reflects his long-standing interest in Renaissance arts, which motivated him to write his Ph.D dissertation on poetry settings in Elizabethan madrigals.

Johnston 50th Anniversary

In 1969, a group of faculty, students and staff created an alternative learning environment at the University-a true living and learning community where students would be responsible for their own education-the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies. Once a separate college, the center is now fully integrated into the College of Arts and Sciences and one of the college's largest academic programs.

The Johnston educational process recognizes students who have a great variety of interests and seeks to give each person extensive ownership of their education. To achieve this, Johnston brings together a community of bright, creative, independent and active students with a genuine interest in academic pursuits-a place where diversity is cherished and ideas are debated. Today some 200 talented and passionate Redlands students live and learn together in the Johnston complex, which includes two residence halls, faculty offices, a coffee house, classrooms and community spaces.

This weekend is chock-full of Johnston events: discussions, dancing, music, art, learning, eating, and most importantly, being together. There are even activities for kids! Check out the schedule here!

Additionally, the Johnston Center has installed a display in the Armacost Library entrance, full of Johnston memorabilia collected throughout the last half century. There is also a large art piece done by a Johnston alum. Stop by the Armacost Library to check out these historic mementos. Happy Anniversary, Johnston Center, and here's to another 50 years!

How a maverick educator found his home at Redlands

Barney Childs leads a seminar

Ninety years ago today, composer and educator Barney Childs was born in Spokane, Washington.

Childs is remembered for his multifaceted contributions to twentieth-century American music. His 160-plus compositions span a fifty-year period, from his early choral works written at Oxford to his final ensemble works premiered at the University of Redlands. Childs pursued formal education in literature and was largely self-taught as a composer. He drew on a wide range of musical and literary inspiration, but indeterminacy, improvisation and extended instrumental techniques recur throughout his mature work. Many of his pieces require the performer to take an active role in realizing the concept behind the score.

Childs founded a record label, Advance Recordings, to make contemporary music known to a wider audience. Advance LPs helped works by William Bolcom, George Crumb, Robert Ashley and Harold Budd (among others) to see the light of day. Childs' research on contemporary composers is documented in numerous interviews, articles and his book Contemporary Composers on Contemporary Music, co-edited with Elliot Schwartz.

Childs' teaching had perhaps the greatest impact on the Redlands community, as it led him to join Johnston College at the University of Redlands in 1971, just two years after Johnston's founding. Created during a time of deep social and intellectual turmoil, Johnston's founders saw problems with all of the dominant approaches to higher education. Johnston's response encompassed individualized education, nontraditional structures and innovative teaching and learning.

Childs was already familiar with experimental education from his years as a student, faculty member and dean of Deep Springs College, a tiny men's college nestled high in the mountains of eastern California. Founded in 1917 by Lucien L. Nunn, a former miner devoted to the idea of problem-based education, Deep Springs was an all-men's college comprising 25 students, 5 staff, and a working ranch with 5,000 head of cattle when Childs took classes there in the 1940s. New students were hand picked and there was no entrance fee. Students spent half their day studying and the other half working on the farm, doing everything from irrigating crops to fixing phone lines and changing work assignments three times a year.

Johnston faced significant challenges in its early days as its students, faculty and administration sought to realize their ideals and worked out the college's relationship to the greater University of Redlands. Nevertheless, the fledgling college was able to hire several new faculty each year, and an opening for a joint humanities/music position brought Barney Childs to Redlands in 1971, where he joined his friend and frequent collaborator Phil Rehfeldt, who was already on the music faculty. Childs quickly settled into life in Johnston, offering courses in "The Nature of Evil in Literature" as well as independent studies and semester courses in poetry, Shakespeare, electronic music and coordination of the student New Music Ensemble.

Childs summarized what was learning about experimental education in his 1973 article "Teaching Music Theory: The Experimental College". He observed that many students came to experimental colleges to escape overly structured educational experiences, but

that a lack of constraint - actually, the very freedom he had been seeking - can be disorienting. This sometimes results in a tendency to seek attachment to something stable, within or without: religion, political cause, mysticism, sometimes an academic discipline. He has thus moved from a closed system to an open one in which the need to find internal actualization is vital. It is to this process that the best principles of experimental education are dedicated.

Meanwhile, Childs likened the faculty experience at the experimental college to "teaching in a one-room schoolhouse: be prepared to teach everything to everybody on demand." He explained,

The very immediacy of student-faculty contact in a small school puts the teacher right out in the open; he is a member of a dynamic community first as a human being, not simply someone seen behind a desk ... 'busy' at an experimental college means interacting, regardless of the level of conversation, with someone else. The result is that inevitably one's teaching will be merely a part of his total presence.

Childs taught at Redlands from 1971 to 1994, throwing his "total presence" into his work with students and faculty colleagues. In his fourth and final Johnston commencement address, Childs commented on Johnston's unique "state of mind" which persisted even as a Center integrated within the University of Redlands. He advised graduates to "Stay aware. Stay loose. Stay prepared for surprises..." and closed with his oft-quoted Childs' Law: "If you give your very best shot, you may - just may - be good enough."

Childs' legacy is preserved at Armacost Library in the Barney Childs Collection containing his published scores, writings, photos and manuscript compositions. A growing collection of items are also available online in the campus repository, InSPIRE.

Sanjeet Mann
Arts & Electronic Resources Librarian, Armacost Library

Sources

Childs, Barney. "The Burning of the Leaves: Deep Springs as Ritual." Barney Childs Collection, Armacost Library Special Collections. Jan. 22 1967. Address.

---. "Childs - JC Commencement Address, 1964"[sic]. Barney Childs Collection, Armacost Library Special Collections. May 1994. Address. 

---. "The Obligatory Inspirational Commencement Address." Journal of Humanistic Psychology 21.2 (1981): 143-146. Barney Childs Collection, Armacost Library Special Collections. Print. 

---. "Teaching Music Theory: The Experimental College." Journal of Music Theory 18.1 (Spring 1974): 101-109. Web.

"Deep Springs: The School in the Desert." Times Educational Supplement 20 Nov. 1948: 653. Barney Childs Collection, Armacost Library Special Collections. Print.

Fox, Jim. "Barney Childs in Memoriam." 21st Century Music. March 2000: 9-10. Web.

Rehfeldt, Phil. Letter to Barney Childs. Barney Childs Collection, Armacost Library Special Collections. 3 Nov. 1970. TS.

---. Letter to Barney Childs. Barney Childs Collection, Armacost Library Special Collections. 7 Dec. 1970. TS.

University of Redlands. Annual Catalog 1972-1973. Print.