I forbid you to . . .
You are forbidden to . . .
He forbade her to . . .
Forbidden
No matter how it is phrased, forbidden is negative. It is someone else making a decision for you. It is someone else controlling your thoughts, actions, or experiences. It is wrong.
There are so very many avenues we could take with this discussion; so many areas of forbidding in this world. However, for the purpose of this site we will be addressing forbidden books; more commonly known as banned books.
Asserting control over what is considered approved reading is not new. This factor has been a part of life since our early existence. This exterior control goes in cycles, it seems. What was once required reading for Junior and Senior Year High Schoolers is now on the Banned Book List in many school systems. How did we get here?
Together, let’s explore the history and the continuing saga of Forbidden Publishing.
Trista Blair
Todd Harvey
Dennis Shultz