Banned books group

So...whoever is interested in the banned books group, can visit that blog at its own new, super-duper blog.

I circulated flyers at the Geneva Writers Group meeting on Saturday and quite a few got picked up. At any rate we'll have at least 3-4 strong members. Anything more would be a bonus.

Still looking for a few good readers

What do Little Red Riding Hood and Harry Potter have in common with The Satanic Verses and The Jewel of Medina?

They have all been banned or have been controversial writings at some point in time by some large group or country. I am looking for 6-8 people to join me in creating a new book group. This will be The Banned Books Group, which will take on one banned or controversial book each. Members will take turns to nominate a book at each meeting. We will meet periodically to discuss these interesting and important books. Sometimes, the actual authors of the books might even join us via phone or in person. This should be a lively and fun group. Drop me a line and let’s read together. Email: jsaidullah@gmail.com

We already have a few members, but we're looking for some more. I also created a separate blog for this group. Still very new, check it out here.

Get in touch if you want to join...and if you are in Geneva :-)

A crazy idea?

It was Banned Books Week, from September 27-October 4, 2008.

So I had this idea...which I suppose like all ideas at 11 PM...in the cold light of day will sound totally crazy. I want to create a book group...but a banned or controvorsial book group. So I wanted to write it out and put it out there. This would include any books that have been banned or have been controvorsial at some point at some place. Strangely this is not such a small group. It includes the Harry Potter books (banned for witchcraft), The Satanic Verses, the new Jewel of Medina, etc.

I am so into freedom of speech that I'm surprised I didn't think of this before.

Here's the banned books site at UPenn. The books range from Little Red Riding Hood to Ulysses.

Here is the banned books page from the ALA.

Here is the banned books page in wikipedia.

I think this would be a really interesting book group. So, I am going to work on it and put it out there. See how many others are interested. I'm thinking like 8 members or so. Will post it on glocals, I think.

What do you think?

WTF is this Shit?

Internal dialog

Oh no you're not writing about that freedom of speech crap are you? Say you're not please. It's so done. It's so...I don't know so very 2007. Give it up. I am soo tired of your shit.

But it's the perfect storm, don't you see? Here is the Delhi intelligentsia demanding citizenship for Taslima Nasrin. There are those damned Danish cartoons again, complete with a foiled assasination plot against the cartoonist. I can't resist. I just can't.


And the shit, what about that? Gotcha huh?

Well, it's early in the year, prime nostalgia time, and I started started thinking about the pre-Web Internet (you gasp? It's true. I was there) and the shit and religion list that was so popular, making the rounds of discussion boards. So, here you are an oldie but a goodie, the Shit List of Religions.

I give up. *sighs*

Good. I hoped you would. *smiles(

A Religion and Shit Ideology
Note: okay, some of them are not about religion but they are still funny.

Taoism: Shit happens.

Confucianism: Confucius say shit happen.

Zen Buddhism: Shit is, and is not.

Zen Buddhism Redux: What is the sound of shit happening?

Hinduism: This shit has happened before.

Calvinism: Shit happens because you don't work.

Secular Humanism: Shit evolves.

Creationism: God made all shit.

Darwinism: This shit was once food.

Catholisicm: If shit happens you deserve it.

Judaism: Why does shit always happen to us?

Unitarianism: Come, let us reason together about this shit.

Existentialism: Shit doesn't happen, Shit IS.

Mormonism: God sent this shit.

Quakers: Let us not fight over this shit.

Seventh Day Adventist: No shit shall happen on Sunday.

Agnostic: What is this shit?

Satanism: SNEPPAH TIHS.

Atheism: What shit?

Atheism redux: I can't believe this shit.

Impressionsim: From a distance shit looks like a garden.

Idolism: Let's bronze this shit.


And since this is my page, you know you were waiting for this three-pronged nyah nyah to my ummah. Hey, I can say it since I am Muslim :-) Peace! Here is the grand finale:

Islam: If shit happens it's the will of Allah.

Islam redux: If shit happens, kill the person responsible.

Islam.3: I'll kick the shit out of you.

VIVA FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!!