Thanks you Censors

NEONOMICON by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows. Avatar, 2011.

You might look at this cover and wonder. It is an adult GN. I do not read much adult stuff as there is already an overwhelming number of children's and YA titles on my shelves demanding to be read. But when I read that a librarian in South Carolina had removed this book after it had been challenged and a board had voted to RETAIN it, I used my Christmas gift card to Amazon to order a copy. You see, that is what I do when I read of outrageous violations of the FREEDOM TO READ: I buy copies of the books, read them, and donate them to our local public library (and I am in the middle of Republican territory here). So, Neonomicon will be donated to the public library shortly. This GN has it all: ritual murders, monstrous beings, depravity. Add to this incredible art and a compelling story, and you do have to wonder what that librarian thought this book should not remain in the ADULT section of the library (where someone had checked it out for a teen whose parent screamed bloody murder).

I hope others will do the same: if you hear about challenges, buy the books, donate them, add them back to collections. last year I purchased every copy of SPEAK and SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE and donated tem to libraries around the country. It is my duty to fight the ignorance of censorship by placing those dangerous books back into the hands of readers.