Kudos to Mr. Evan Smith Rakoff who arranged for Vintage Books to donate copies of Ralph Ellison’s timeless masterpiece, Invisible Man, to the high school students of Randolph County, NC, after the book was banned by the county school board several weeks ago.
One school board member who voted to ban the book, Gary Mason, actually stated, “I didn’t find any literary value.”
Hmmmmm?
Perhaps ole Gary boy had a swastika for a teething ring? One whittled from the branch of a Strange Fruit tree? If so; he should really be proud of himself for having done the Reich thing.
But enough of that.
Insofar as Mr. Ellison’s work being short on literary value? Well, the book does more than speak for itself. As one writer so eloquently stated in a comment submitted on my post paying tribute to Ellison’s birthday:
It speaks to so much more than racial identity. Ellison’s understanding of the implications of race actually draw out the power and magic of that mysterious wound in all of us. David Biddle
Magic indeed! At least for the students of Randolph County, NC., who now — like the generation before them — will be afforded an opportunity to read Invisible Man.
Who knows? They may even find they have the ability to see invisible men?
Xmatman out.
Related articles
- Why a School Board Banned ‘Invisible Man’ (theroot.com)
- NC school system lifts ban on ‘Invisible Man’ (newsobserver.com)
- North Carolina Bans Another Book (drudge.com)
- Book becomes anything but ‘invisible’ in Randolph County (myfox8.com)
- North Carolina Students Will Get Free Copies of Banned ‘Invisible Man’ (theatlanticwire.com)
- North Carolina school board reconsiders banning Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” (pbs.org)
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