(no subject)

Ellen Hopkins has been uninvited from the Teen Lit Fest in Humble, Texas. Ellen was invited by librarians she has worked with in the past, then asked not to come when it was revealed that another librarian (who may or may not have been approached by a parent first) went to the superintendent and complained that her books were inappropriate and would potentially cause offense. The superintendent, Mr. Sconzo, chose to uninvite Ms. Hopkins.

It's worth mentioning that Mr. Sconzo has not read any of Ellen Hopkins' books, nor did he discuss the issue with the librarians who invited her.

Ignorance and censorship go hand in hand, it seems.

Mr. Sconzo has been approached by several other librarians who feel he acted in haste. Mr. Sconzo's reply, which can be seen at Ellen Hopkins blog (above) seems defensive and somewhat rude, to me.

I've never read any of Ellen Hopkins' books. I have no idea what they're like, if they're well-written or if they would leave emotional scars that would forever ruin the innocence of the precious little teenage minds that would attend the Teen Lit Fest. That's not the point. Other educators, who do know her style and her quality, invited her to speak because they felt she would contribute. Parents who didn't like her books could simply not visit her and have their children listen to other writers. My problem is that one person, acting from a position of ignorance made a knee-jerk reaction.

Other people have said it better and more eloquently than I have.

Librarified.
Pete Hautman
Melissa de la Cruz
Tera Lynn Childs
Matt De la Pena

It's worth pointing out that four of the remaining guest authors have withdrawn from the festival in protest.