Weekend Picks: Fear is the mind-killer

Apr. 27—In a recent study released by the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom, it was reported that the number of books challenged and banned across the country increased by 40% in 2022.

Luckily, the organization also compiled what I can consider a suggested reading list of the top 10 most banned books over the past year. To nobody's surprise, the majority involve LGBTQ+ themes.

I don't know about you, but I smell fear.

To quote sci-fi author Frank Herbert's "Dune," "Fear is the mind-killer."

Unfortunately, it's validating to know that there's now statistical evidence that there's been a renewed movement in our country to ban books. For a while, it could be argued that it was all in our heads, but no, the tool integral to the thought and information control exercised by totalitarians throughout history is, unfortunately, now proven to be resurfacing.

I assume some would agree with the logic behind restricting some books from younger readers, particularly books that display complex adult themes and graphic scenes depicting violence, sexual abuse and drug use. But this is also a restriction that should never be imposed upon high school age youth.

One example that stands out to me is the work of Ellen Hopkins, interviewed over a year ago by state government reporter Jasmine Hall. Her book "Crank," released in 2004, details the experiences of a 16-year-old girl's addiction to methamphetamine. The main character also follows through with a pregnancy after being sexually assaulted, and her family has to raise the child. It was challenged in Laramie County School District 1 at the time of the interview.

"A book is a safe space to explore that stuff," Hopkins told Hall, "and it's a lot safer than the internet."

I, too, had the pleasure of interviewing a set of Wyoming authors on their reactions to the escalating frequency of book challenges in Wyoming. In my own article, in which I compiled the perspectives of several Wyoming authors, Mark Spragg provided his personal insight as to the motivation behind banning books.

"Banning books is, more accurately, an effort to ban thought, opinion and perspective," he wrote in a statement prior to our interview last August. "I believe that those who urge the banning do so because they are fearful that their point of view will be discovered as untenable, disgraceful, able to exist only in an intellectual or religious vacuum.

"Censorship is the tool of dictators, of bullies, of cults, of the intellectually timid."

In early high school, when I hated reading, and before I had any inclination I wanted to write for a living, I picked up the book "Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock," by Matthew Quick, author of the critically acclaimed, "The Silver Linings Playbook."

"Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock" tells the story of the titular Leonard Peacock, a high school student who reveals to the reader his plan to shoot and kill a fellow classmate and then himself. It's obviously a dark and depressing narrative, but its exploration of a young man's flawed and extreme thinking certainly made a lasting impression on me.

I don't think the book could be released today, not in the escalating environment of mass shootings in America, but I have to wonder what its modern impact would be. How many other young adults, like the fictional Peacock, feel isolated and alone?

Similarly, how many kids in our own community would feel represented in one of Hopkins' stories?

Sometimes, treacherous waters are meant to be explored by authors — sometimes, they're meant to be explored by readers. It's worth considering whether our heartbeat, as it rapidly escalates in the presence of uncomfortable material, may sometime serve as an emotional geiger counter, growing stronger as we approach the core of critical issues and taboo subjects that we face in our modern life.

There's a quote that hangs in our office from George Orwell, who had a few valuable things to say in regards to freedom of expression: "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed; everything else is public relations."

I don't see why this couldn't be applied to the creative arts, as well.

Anything that makes the reader uncomfortable, concerned, upset even, is likely pushing said reader's boundary of understanding. It is critical, however, that a young reader is correctly comprehending and interpreting what they're reading. That is ensured through proper education.

Books dealing with themes of rape, race, drug addiction, suicide and depression, sex and abuse are likely trying to impact the reader by placing them in a character's mindset.

Sometimes, the goal is as simple as making the reader feel less alone.

If there's anything to learn from the current situation we find ourselves in, it's that we'd be wise not to teach youth to fear their own thoughts and feelings. As evidenced by the lengths to which we will go when our actions are guided by fear, the proof lies within us.

It's a good idea to pick up a new book this weekend, a read that's been on your mind or might be a little outside your wheelhouse. If you're not a big reader, then queue up a movie or an album — anything to diversify your palate.

Better yet, get out into the community and try something new. This weekend should have something to satisfy.

Tonight, world-renowned classical guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre will perform at the Laramie County Library, courtesy of the Cheyenne Guitar Society. Around the same time, Capitol Cinema 16 will hold a special screening of the new documentary "You Have No Idea," in honor of Autism Awareness Month. The film explores a small-town family's journey with autism.

And throughout the weekend, the Laramie County Community College Theater Department will present the second round of its newest show, "God of Carnage," a darkly comedic, one-act play exploring the relationship dynamics of two arguing couples. The show will run at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

For a more serious exploration, Saturday morning offers an exploration into the societal relations between Westerners and Indigenous peoples.

Grace United Methodist Church will gather for a two-part exploration of implicit bias training that has the goal of giving participants the opportunity to "experience how others feel and are seen by dominant societal norms, then to identify steps to foster healthier attitudes and practices with people of cultures different from our own." That event begins at 9 a.m.

Anyone who has a moderate familiarity with Canadian prog-rock band Rush knows that their music is particularly complicated, due in no small part to the late drummer Neil Pert. The significance being that it's no small feat to successfully cover their back catalogue without serious skills.

Luckily, the best in the business are making their way to the Outlaw Saloon on Saturday night. The last time Rush Archives took the stage in Cheyenne, it was a sold-out show, so if you still haven't secured tickets, you'd better act fast.

Will Carpenter is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's Arts and Entertainment/Features Reporter. He can be reached by email at wcarpenter@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3135. Follow him on Twitter @will_carp_.