Scandalous reads abound in the rare book collection

This week, in honor of First Amendment Day, I decided to visit Wilson Library’s “Banned and in the Rare Book Collection” event on Tuesday evening.

Admittedly, I am not very knowledgeable on the subject of banned books or the common reasons for their banning. However, I did learn a lot from the event!

While I had not heard of many of the books, I soon learned why they were banned. In the reading that followed, several UNC staff members and even a student read from banned books of their choosing. Readings like these were taking place all over the country in honor of Banned Books Week.

One of the books displayed in Wilson’s lobby was “The Little Review: A Magazine of the Arts — Making No Compromise With the Public Taste”. While relatively small, with an unassuming brown cover, this publication featured parts of James Joyce’s Ulysses, a book which was read from at the reading.

According to Claudia Funke, UNC’s rare books curator, Ulysses is the most famous banned book. I mean, it certainly was given enough publicity when the U.S. Supreme Court decided to take it – yes, the book, not the author or publisher – to court to decide if it should be allowed to be published in the United States.

In the case, United States v. One Book Called Ulysses (I’m not making this up, I promise!), the court ruled in favor of Ulysses being published, declaring it not too obscene for publication. Previously, the book was confiscated by the Postal Service if it was found in the mail!

So if you’re looking for a scandalous read, check out Ulysses by James Joyce, or any one of the other books featured in the readings.

These include Ibis by Jose Maria Vargas Vila (banned for naked references and a defense of suicide), Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (banned for being too erotic), or Howl, a collection of poetry by Allen Ginsberg (banned for explicit descriptions). These, as well as many other banned books, may be part of UNC’s rare book collection, as well as available for check out in less-rare editions in UNC’s libraries.

Happy reading!