We hope you enjoyed the August 2022 issue of This Awful Awesome Life.
Many thanks to Lilly Kauffman, Orlando Bartro, and Linda Cahill for their contributions to our vacation issue.
September is Banned Books Month in honor of the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week (September 18-24).
Every year, the ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom collects data on books that are challenged or banned.
The statistics for the last nine months are staggering!
The attack on Salman Rushdie in New York is particularly alarming. The book in question, The Satanic Verses was published over 30 years ago.
“The worst most insidious effect of censorship is that, in the end, it can deaden the imagination of the people. Where there is no debate, it is hard to go on remembering, every day, there is a suppressed side to every argument.” Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie and Sean. Bernie Sanders
Orlando Bartro highlights a work by Mark Twain whose books have come under increasing scrutiny in the last decade. Twain opposed slavery and often featured enslaved characters in his works. Lilly Kauffman explains what it means to “read with scissors.” Is it a lost art in the internet age? You decide.
This month I reviewed Entrenched: A Memoir of Holding on and Letting Go by Linda Lee Blakemore. She is also featured in our Q&A. Blakemore is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Abuse is often a taboo subject in polite society. Blakemore repressed feelings of anger, shame, and fear with emotionally damaging denial. She wrapped them in a blanket of silence until she found her voice and reclaimed her own power.
I’ve selected ten controversial movies for you this month. Our September 2002 Quiz, “How do You Really Feel about Censorship?” features twenty-five famous quotes. All you have to do is correctly identify who uttered these famous words. Don’t miss the beauty of “September 2022 in Pictures.”
“Dare to Believe,” is proud to feature two people who persevered despite attempts to censor their ideas or the ideas of others. I have reading recommendations for adults and kids based on ALA lists of banned books plus a few more quotes from authors about the dangers of censorship.
We have a collection of words related to censorship and we’ve thrown in an excellent quote from Stephen King a man who values the written word and the importance of artistic and intellectual freedoms.
Our vegetable of the month is green beans. I have two easy and delicious recipes for you.
Linda Cahill shares some delicious end-of-summer recipes courtesy of Pampered Chef perfect for the upcoming football season and back to school.
September is a hectic month, but we must pause to remember 9/11/2001, the brave men, women, and children we lost, and our first responders.
If your state has not held its primary elections yet, please take this opportunity to vet the candidates before you go to the polls. Know where they stand on all the issues and if their voting records reflect their stance on important issues. Please show up and vote. We will never tell you who to vote for, but we will keep telling you to vote and do your homework! Vote for the candidates who are the most qualified and who will safeguard our democracy.
Samantha Sayers has been missing since she disappeared on August 1, 2018, after a day of solo hiking at Vesper Peak near Seattle, Washington. Sam grew up in the Erie, Pennsylvania area where her parents Ron and Lisa still live. Her family is exploring all avenues of inquiry to find and bring her home. In the face of such an enormous challenge, they have chosen hope. Please keep sending positive thoughts to Sam and her family. As promised, we will be displaying a yellow ribbon for Sam on the opening page of each issue of This Awful Awesome Life until she is home.
If you are a person of faith, please pray for her safe return to her family. Because we are an online publication, we can update this article with any news. We will also post information on our Facebook page. Thank you!
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Happy Reading,
Fran