PAGES PROMOTIONS, LLC
  • Home
    • Contact
    • Our Sacred Text Philosophy
    • Terms & Conditions & Privacy Policy
  • Editorial, Book Design Services
    • Past Project Portfolio
    • Reviews & Testimonials
  • Marketing Services
    • Indie Reads TV & Festival Replays >
      • Indie Reads Aloud Podcast Season One
      • Indie Reads Aloud Podcast Season Two
      • 2021 Regatta Race Leg Replays
      • 2021 Winter Festival Replays
      • 2020 Autumn Festival Replays
      • 2020 Summer Festival Replays
      • 2019 Summer Book Fest Photo Album
      • TV Season One Episode Archive
      • TV Season Two Episode Archive
  • The Blog Thingy
    • Resources
  • Community Service Projects
    • By The Seat of Our Pants: Madmess
    • By The Seat of Our Pants: Chaos
    • By The Seat of Our Pants: Secret Love
    • 2023 The Quire Omnibus
  • Writing Craft Mentoring
  • 2023 Winter Virtual Festival
    • 2023 Mystery Game
    • 2023 Scavenger Hunt
    • 2023 Event Schedule
    • 2023 Fingerprint Casebook

The Blog Thingy...
​Where Emotion and Information are Dispensed Inconsistently... Sometimes.

What If They Erased Pooh?

3/4/2021

14 Comments

 
Picture
After spending the past few days nearly suffocated in the news that Dr. Seuss Enterprises (a foundation that I thought was about preserving the man’s work) was pulling six of his books from print, my head started spinning.  It’s cut me to the quick, and I’m a bit more upset about it than I expected.  Aside from the painful thoughts of erasing literature and the history that goes with it, censorship, and a host of other political arguments, both for and against the move; I began to reflect on my own experience of these books and others, growing up.  I began to unpack my recollection of the books I read, and their influence on who I have become as an adult, mother, wife, and author.  It’s been an interesting few days of emotional highs and lows… and at last, this is what I’ve come to.  I appreciate your indulgence.

I attended a “progressive” elementary school.  The year I started public kindergarten, 1969, it was a new approach to learning, for its time.  I was exposed to lots of different lessons, in all sorts of different forms.  Some lessons were real-world… third grade, where we learned about public messages in our television production studio in the basement underneath the library… fourth grade choir, where we sang folk songs with political and sociological messages… fifth grade band, where we learned to work in concert, understanding the nuances of our combined passion… sixth grade science, where we dissected cow’s eyes and learned that there are more similarities than differences between animals and humans. 

Some lessons were “under the radar”… nature walks through the trails that surrounded the school, where we learned to be respectful of nature and stay on the path… gym class, where we learned the value of including everyone in the game, and the strength and confidence competition creates – without destroying friendships… and the equality that is created within a student body when the building is shaped like a circle, the classrooms were “pie slices” and no one was “above” or “below” anyone else.

My love of literature, instigated at home, and nurtured in that school, was the one element of education that shaped my life more than any other.  Teachers expected us to read one hundred books a year.  The reading level didn’t matter – the fact that we read, did.  Voracious reading today, sustains me in my literary career and envelops me in a community of like-minded souls who are incredibly progressive and inclusive in their thinking.  In third and fourth grade, we were taught to write book reports and essays.  Now, I use those same skills when writing book reviews and blog posts.  In fifth and sixth grade speech class, we were expected to present in front of our class every week, on an assigned topic or form.  Today, I use those same skills at book readings, in teaching creative writing workshops, and in hosting book festivals.  I am grateful for the diversity of skill sets and understanding that my teachers instilled in me, and that my family encouraged.  All of this prepared me well for the life of a supportive friend, mother, wife, business owner, and author.

We read lots of different books in elementary school.  Some we read silently, invoking our imagination to decipher meaning and impact with internal, personal reflection.  Some we read aloud in class, discussing with our teacher and peers shared ideas, concepts, influence, and symbolism.  Still others were read aloud to us in the library, so we could drown in the pure entertainment that is storytelling.  Never once, was there a political message, an agenda that was culturally mandated, or a requirement of “equal time” for authors, characters, or story.  We learned about history, and the communities that came before us, how they lived, and their belief systems through story.  We learned about science and how imagination informs invention through story.  We learned the differences in regional dialect, the use of slang, and the strength of the spoken word as it is all presented in story.

I was fascinated with the imaginations of the authors I read, as I still am today.  We read “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats. It never occurred to me that this was a story about a Black child.  To me, it was simply a story about a snowy day and a child’s personal experience of that day.  We read “Ping” by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese.  It never occurred to me that this story was about an Asian family and their occupation.  To me, it was simply a story about a little duck, and how important it was to be mindful of your responsibilities, and how your actions impact others.  We read “Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain.  It never occurred to me that I was reading a tale of the trials of slavery and marginalizing the Black experience.  To me, it was simply an adventure story, embarked upon by very different friends, who shared with each other their understanding of life.  We read “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel” by Virginia Lee Burton.  It never occurred to me that this was a story about manipulation and greed.  To me, it was simply a story of confidence, self-reliance, and the pride one can take in a job well-done. 

I suppose all of those stories and their messages could have been interpreted either way, depending on the guidance I had in reading them.  I believe, in that fact, lies the key.  I had guidance in what I read, and an opportunity for honest, open discussion about everything I encountered on the printed page.

Hearing today, how so many voices are crying for diversity, yet simultaneously overlooking a greater opportunity for gentle inclusion, regardless of differences, frustrates me.  The voices make me consider how other stories might be interpreted, and what might be removed from our shelves, and denied to our children for their own interpretation.

Indulge me a moment longer, as I reflect on one of my all-time favorite stories, “Winnie The Pooh” by A.A. Milne.  This author and his tales of adventure and discovery were the reason I wanted to become an author so badly.  In these stories, I found acceptance, love, reflection, understanding, and excitement.  Stories of this bear and his band of dedicated, devoted friends will never leave my shelves… but I wondered, if Dr. Suess’ work can be marginalized – a thing I never thought possible – what of A.A. Milne’s work?  What interpretation might these same individuals create to realign the Pooh stories?  I imagine, they would begin by dissecting character…

Kanga: She is portrayed as a kind, nurturing, gentle soul.  But, she could also be seen as one who is consistently taken advantage of and used in moments of manipulation because of her kind nature.  And by the way, why is she the only female in this group?  In one easy stroke, both women and altruism have become offended.

Tigger:  The free spirit, the risk-taker, the embodiment of pure energy.  Although, he could also be seen as one who has ADHD, one who can’t focus, one who needs constant reprimanding.  Again, in one simple mistake of interpretation, special needs individuals are offended.

Rabbit: Detail oriented, a leader, one who insists on following a plan and takes charge, often guiding the others (albeit making mistakes sometimes).  Sure, but, he could also be interpreted as being saddled with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) which makes him less reliable because of his constant need for unachievable order inside of chaos.  And there you have it, mental illness has been offended.

Piglet:  The tender-heart, the cautious soul, the courage seeker.  Give it a little thought, and he could also be retold as an enabler, an introvert with a tiny, inconsequential voice.  Yup, once again, the emotions self-doubt and the speed at which different people learn and adapt has been offended.

Owl:  The wise one, the one who thinks before he takes action, the researcher.  And yet, he could also be seen as the nerd, overbearing, and an over-inflated megalomaniac.  In one tiny moment positive self-esteem has now been offended.

Roo:  The helper, the cheerleader.  However, he could also be seen as the tagalong, the nuisance with no experience to offer the group.  Positive attitude and enthusiasm have just been offended.

Pooh: The artist, the dreamer, the poet.  Give it a moment, and he could also be seen as the airhead, the one with no direction or goals, a poor example to follow.  Emotional, even-tempered thoughtfulness has now been offended.

Eeyore: The unassuming recluse, the independent observer, the one most comfortable in routine.  Now, with very little work, he could also be seen as the embodiment of depression and paranoia.  We’ve just offended those with a lack of confidence and mental health challenges.

Christopher Robin: The believer, the indulgent one, the patient one.  How easy it would be to see him as an embarrassment to those who don’t believe, can’t indulge, and don’t have patience.  At last, we’ve now offended hope.

If you haven’t discovered my meaning yet, let me make it very clear.  Whenever we read literature, especially with children, we need to remember to include guidance and conversation to find meaning and understanding.  The slippery slope of erasing books from our common experience because we are overly sensitive about offending with exclusivity is one that only gets slipperier as time moves forward. 

Diversity expects that we see each other as different. Acceptance insists that we understand life’s experiences as unique to every individual.  Civility requires that we are patient with those differences, and in our process to understand them.  Eliminating the questions don’t make us smarter, more accepting, or more inclusive.  Finding the answers and engaging in an open, honest discussion of our differences, does.

So sure, take away these books that offend you, for whatever reason.  The problem will still be there.    And it will get bigger because of the elimination of a forum to explore and discuss our commonalities along side our differences.  The solution lies in acknowledgement and acceptance of our differences, and an enthusiastic celebration of those contrasts, not in hiding behind a wall of false equality and sociological perfection. 
​
I don’t want to be the same as everyone else.  I want to thrive in my uniqueness, and I want you to thrive in yours.  Simple acceptance shouldn’t be this hard.

14 Comments
Joan Young link
3/4/2021 02:11:41 pm

I totally agree with you. What's next? Removing books where women were required to wear dresses and were not allowed in the smoking rooms because it is demeaning? I heard two college kids saying they didn't like Rikki-Tiki-Tavi because "it was hard on the snake." They totally didn't see it as a story from a time period where the cobra was feared above all. Will we remove all stories with conflict because "good and evil" are constructs? This has no end. Meanwhile, I'm hanging on hard to my original B'rer Rabbit.

Reply
Joan Young link
3/4/2021 04:03:57 pm

P.S.- I don't think good and evil are constructs, but many people do. And I'm pretty positive no one is planning to remove books that offend Christians. Sometimes it seems like "the more the merrier."

Reply
Diana Kathryn Plopa link
3/5/2021 07:44:02 pm

Joan,
Yup! I'm keeping my Uncle Remus stories, too!
So much literary culture, I'm not giving it up!

Diana Kathryn Plopa link
3/5/2021 07:42:38 pm

Joan,
Thank you for reading my OpEd. I appreciate your time and consideration.
This is indeed at the heart of my concern. Where does the "we've reconsidered this" end. This is a big reason why I've chosen to Indie Publish, and not gone Traditional. I want to be in control over when, if, and for what reasons my books go out of print.

Reply
Louanne
3/4/2021 02:48:32 pm

Beautifully said... and brought joy to my heart.

Reply
Diana Kathryn Plopa link
3/5/2021 07:45:24 pm

Dear Luanne,
Thank you for taking the time to read my OpEd.
I appreciate your time, consideration, and kind words..

Reply
JQ Rose
3/4/2021 04:45:31 pm

Excellent and thoughtful statements. I loved your assessment of the Winnie the Pooh characters. I don't know if the media played it low key, but I was shocked there wasn't more pushback to these actions. Yes, you make a great point about guiding children through their reading and answering their questions.
Thank you.
ttfn

Reply
Diana Kathryn Plopa link
3/5/2021 07:48:15 pm

Dear JQ Rose,
Thank you for taking the time to read my OpEd. I appreciate you taking the time and consideration.
I'm shocked at how so many people are trying to make this a political argument, rather than an argument about preserving the written word. I love these characters, and would hate to see any of the stories lost to "changes in attitude".

Reply
Douglas Pierce link
3/4/2021 06:34:09 pm

A well written opinion piece, Diana.

I think, though, that it is important to consider that these six books are not being erased at all. They are simply not being continued. There are probably thousands of copies of these books already in circulation, and no one is coming for them with torches.

Additionally, it is worth noting that these six books were very, very low selling books to begin with. They are all among the least popular of his books. The organization could simply have chosen to simply stop publishing them for lack of demand — and no one would have been any wiser for it. Businesses and publishers make choices to discontinue low-selling merchandise/books all of the time.

The organization, however, chose to announce the move based on their own evaluation of concerns relating to the depictions of certain people in overtly racist ways that really no longer fit our society in terms of diversity and inclusion. The fact that these books were also very low selling allowed them to make this decision — in the hopes of showing their commitment to the larger values that Dr. Seuss unquestionably represents. Most of his books depict characters in ways that are not seen as racist or belittling.

Dr. Seuss is not being canceled or erased. Instead, the least popular books of his collection are being discontinued, and there is probably a good reason these books sold so few copies. His legacy of incredible and timeless stories is safer with these books discontinued.

Reply
Diana Kathryn Plopa link
3/5/2021 08:18:15 pm

Dear Douglas,

Thank you for taking the time to read my OpEd. I appreciate your time and consideration.

However, I think you missed the point of my essay. It doesn't matter that there are already "thousands of copies of these books already in circulation". The point is that discontinuing to print them is a politically motivated maneuver. If they had simply said that they were pulling the books from print, as you say, for financial concerns, that would be one thing. But that's not the reason they cited. These books were pulled because a politically motivated person(s) with some influence, manipulated the estate to discontinue printing the books. The reasons were, as you noted, made very public.

My concern isn't for the multitudes of books that are in print, and that someone might trash or burn them. No, my concern is where this will lead, and the lack of legacy that we will leave for our children.

When will it be enough? When will we stop working so hard to bury our literary history out of embarrassment, and accept it for what it is... a fantastic legacy of wealth in storytelling, and a tremendous teaching tool for future generations.

How will our ten-times great-grandchildren understand the tremendous growth we have accomplished, and the importance of the road we have traveled to become (one day) a more enlightened society, if we pull from print and production each book that offends us? Why not, instead, use these books as references and teaching tools to not repeat the mistakes of our misguided words? After all, the King James version of the Bible is still widely in print, even though the Good News Bible is a more politically correct, and some would say, a more culturally accessible version of the same story.

By way of example, this is exactly the reason we know so little about the Egyptian culture. It is because, out of anger, spite, and politically motivated "erasure" of the written records that represented rivals and those who didn't fall in line with those who held influence. I would hate to see that happen to us, as a culture.

Think of the Library of Alexandria... there is so much literature that has been lost because we no longer have the originals, there were limited numbers produced at the time... and so we cannot access them for study and understanding today. Truly, this is a tragic loss for civilization.

Furthermore, why wouldn't the Seuss estate guardians simply produce an updated version of the books, without the offensive components, and call it a new printing; keeping the first edition accessible? Why not allow the reader to choose?

You are quite correct, had this decision been made on a purely financial basis, they never would have mentioned it... they would have just discontinue printing books that don't make a profit. If that was the true motive, then it makes sense. It think it's interesting that now, what they've done, is created a demand for these titles, and their sales of these titles will "magically" increase, allowing them to move stagnant stock, and the books will become more valuable. Funny how that works, don't you think?

Reply
Douglas Pierce link
3/5/2021 09:05:54 pm

Hi Diana,

I didn’t miss the point of your essay. I chose to point out certain realities, primarily, financial ones.

One possible reason that they chose these six (low-selling, little known books) was because they had the most egregious imagery and the estate was potentially worried about a firestorm of criticism had it left the books in print and someone influential made a fuss about them.

So, yeah, that would have been a politically-motivated decision, that they then used to both virtue signal and eliminate a financial risk of the entire line of books being boycotted.

I think, if any of the six books had been popular enough, they probably would have modified the images to make them more acceptable, if they could have done so without impacting the prose. I don’t know how important the problematic images were to the overall stories of any of the books.

Personally, although I am an author, and I love books, I do not subscribe to the idea that every book is sacred and in need of being preserved. Books come in and out of print all of the time, for many and various reasons. Some because the publishers go out of business. Some for political reasons. Some because the authors no longer feel the book is worthy of remaining in print.

Dr. Seuss’ books are essentially books for very young children, children who are just learning to talk and to read. Children who are to young to understand the historical context that made it okay in the past to portray whole groups of people in stereotypical ways that are now seen (and were seen even when he was writing them) as insulting.

In my opinion, it is perfectly acceptable for the foundation to preserve Dr. Seuss’ legacy to make the choice to discontinue those particular books, in order to preserve his larger, more important legacy of making reading and storytelling fun for very young kids, and for parents to be able to bond with their kids in reading them as bedtime stories. I spent countless hours reading some of his more popular and sillier books to my daughter when she was a toddler. Those are memories both of us still cherish.

The books still exist, and the controversy of the moment will help to tell that larger story that even the legendary Dr. Seuss could write and draw stories that applied hurtful stereotypes to whole populations of people. It is an important lesson in and of itself — that no one is perfect, and that we all make mistakes and bad judgement calls.

As a student of history and the written word, I too, mourn the loss of the Great Library and of so much knowledge over the centuries, just as I mourn the loss of countless stories and knowledge from those cultures that never had the opportunity to write their stories down.

Nothing in this world is permanent. Every nation that now exists will eventually go the way of the Pharohanic Egypt. Something new will come along to replace it. Every company that now exists will someday go bust. And every book that is being published now (or in the future) will eventually fall out of print — for one reason or another.

This makes way for new things to be created and discovered, while the best of the past will likely be preserved in some way. It will help to preserve Dr. Seuss’ legacy for future generations if the worst of what he produced is allowed to fade and the best of what he wrote is honored and preserved.

Doug

Diana Kathryn Plopa link
3/6/2021 11:48:44 am

Dear Douglas,

I respect your opinion, and you make some valid points.

However, Dr. Seuss was not focused on writing only silly children's stories. In fact, he believed that writing children's books were a step down for his work.

He was actually focused on writing for an adult audience, and discovered that writing for children was a good way to get his messages across to adults who, perhaps otherwise, wouldn't pay him any mind.

He wrote "The Lorax" to discuss the issue of wild habitat loss and deforestation. He wrote "The Sneetches" to discuss the important issue of racism, and he wrote "The Butter Battle Book" as a commentary on the proliferation of weaponry during the cold war. He wrote "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" to illustrate the importance of never letting go of the tradition of good will among your fellow man. "Horton Hears A Who" reminds us about the importance of loyalty, listening and good communication... just to name a few.

Additionally, you seem to believe that old texts must become obsolete and disappear in order to make room for new tests, with better messages, to become part of our lexicon with distinction. I don't believe the two are mutually exclusive. I believe that we can and should retain the old, infuse the new, and still respect the written word. After all, many of the ancient religious texts and political treatises have been rewritten in new formats, with new interpretations and commentaries, and yet, the old still remain.

I will always stand on the side of preservation of the written word. I think there is room for all of it in our history and in our future. This, of course, doesn't mean you are required to buy it.

Thank you for the interesting discussion.

Reply
suzanne amant
3/5/2021 01:23:07 pm

Q: will the discontinued bookis still be sold in the "complete works set" of Dr. Seuss?

Reply
Diana Kathryn Plopa link
3/5/2021 08:20:20 pm

Dear Suzanne,
Thank you for reading my OpEd. I appreciate you taking the time and consideration.

I have no idea if the six books the estate is removing from publication will remain the the full collection, or not. That is something to investigate. I hope they will remain, but my guess is that they won't, and new editions of the full collection will be produced, with the six stories excluded, as time moves forward.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Welcome 

    You'll find some interesting stuff here... some Op Eds, some Information, Book Reviews, and More.  Poke around the categories and see what ruffles your feathers... in a good way!

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018

    Categories

    All
    2022 Indie Reads Challenge
    Author Friend Thingies
    Author Interview Thingies
    Book Festival Thingies
    Book Review Thingies
    Chapter Previews
    Emotional Thingies
    Featured Indie Authors
    Indie Reads Aloud Podcast
    Indie Reads Aloud Radio Podcast
    Writing Craft Thingies

    RSS Feed

(c) 2021-2023 Diana Kathryn Plopa      Pages Promotions, LLC     All Rights Reserved
Pages Promotions, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Pages Promotions, LLC also participates in the following affiliate programs: Book Cave. Other links may include affiliate codes that afford the site owner a small commission at no additional cost to the buyer.  We truly appreciate your help in supporting this website. We only post affiliate links for products that we use and recommend ourselves.
  • Home
    • Contact
    • Our Sacred Text Philosophy
    • Terms & Conditions & Privacy Policy
  • Editorial, Book Design Services
    • Past Project Portfolio
    • Reviews & Testimonials
  • Marketing Services
    • Indie Reads TV & Festival Replays >
      • Indie Reads Aloud Podcast Season One
      • Indie Reads Aloud Podcast Season Two
      • 2021 Regatta Race Leg Replays
      • 2021 Winter Festival Replays
      • 2020 Autumn Festival Replays
      • 2020 Summer Festival Replays
      • 2019 Summer Book Fest Photo Album
      • TV Season One Episode Archive
      • TV Season Two Episode Archive
  • The Blog Thingy
    • Resources
  • Community Service Projects
    • By The Seat of Our Pants: Madmess
    • By The Seat of Our Pants: Chaos
    • By The Seat of Our Pants: Secret Love
    • 2023 The Quire Omnibus
  • Writing Craft Mentoring
  • 2023 Winter Virtual Festival
    • 2023 Mystery Game
    • 2023 Scavenger Hunt
    • 2023 Event Schedule
    • 2023 Fingerprint Casebook