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| photo courtesy: Cavalier House Books @chbbookstore / Instagram |
DENHAM SPRINGS, La. — Michelle Cavalier describes her fifth grade year as the "greatest reading year" of her life, a time of "childhood civil disobedience."
It was the year that she was first introduced to Lois Lowry's "The Giver," but after a parent complained of its content, it was removed from the classroom.
When the teacher realized that the class was passing around the novel and reading it in secret, she offered them the choice to read the new book, Sounder by William H. Armstrong, or continue reading "The Giver" and take a test.
"I can still feel how excited we were, really feeling as though we were doing something powerful and secret, and when I look back on it, it truly was a turning point for me as a reader and an individual," she said. |
| "'The Giver' is a novel about empathy and the power of memory and stories; about how when we allow fear and suppression to rule our communities, we lose the very core of ourselves." |
Now Cavalier is co-owner of Cavalier House Books, an independent bookstore and book fair provider.
Launched in 2005 with her husband, John Cavalier, Cavalier House Books was first launched at her in-laws house until they opened their retail storefront in 2009.
In November, they had a grand re-opening with their new location.
Known as "the bookstore couple" around the small southern town in Livingston Parish, Cavalier said that she's often told that her life is comparable to a "hallmark movie."
"We have great food, interesting weather and a tight knit community like much of our state," she said. "It’s pretty cute, but we are also doing all we can to make our town more welcoming and resilient to a changing world, be that through cultural shifts or climate disasters."
Livingston Parish is just one of many parishes that are facing ongoing heated debates of banning and challenging books.
"Unfortunately, we are experiencing grave efforts to defund and discredit our library system and the amazing librarians within our parish," she said.
In February, Attorney General Jeff Landry released the Protecting Innocence Report, which breaks down how library policies are structured, including levels of power; how individuals can address their concerns of "sexually explicit material" and example definitions of "sexually explicit."
In response to Landry's Protecting Innocence Report, the Louisiana Library Association released a statement saying that the report is used as a scare tactic for parents, ignores the Miller Test and has a list of titles that are shelved for adults and teens.
Landry's Protecting Innocence Report says that the titles containing "sexually explicitly materials" are "available to children in one or more public libraries in Louisiana," but did not state which ones. In February, a new policy was put into effect where parents and guardians must fill out a “Materials Restriction Form” before children can access their accounts.
"A concentrated campaign that was begun by folks from outside of our community has led to several resignations within our parish library system. Teachers and librarians in schools are pulling books from their classrooms and curriculum for fear of losing their positions," Cavalier added.
In March, Livingston Parish Library Director Giovanni Tairov resigned after heated debates the categorization of books that are deemed "sexually explicit" and shortly after, Livingston Parish Library Assistant Director Jennifer Seneca followed.
Cavalier describes the book ban situation happening across the U.S. as a "culture of fear around our shifting mores and values."
"The only match for fear is empathy, which I fundamentally believe is found through books and the sharing of stories. The work of my life is to share stories, encourage curiosity, and build community," she said. "I do worry about what these bans can do and mean for our community, but for my part, I can offer genuine care for everyone that comes through our doors at the bookshop. A place to safely question for those looking for answers and a soft place to land for those feeling abused or alone, even if just for a little while."
MY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAPTURE LOUISIANA'S HISTORY
"Literature is an essential part of our culture. Louisiana has a rich cultural heritage, but our history is also fraught with horrible injustice and political upheaval. Literature is, in my opinion, the best way to reconcile it all. Reading builds empathy and encourages a plurality of viewpoints."
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| "Anything by Ernest Gaines will place you here. 'A Lesson Before Dying' is a novel absolutely everyone should read." |
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"If you want to go on a ride, pick up 'A Confederacy of Dunces.' Toole captures the culture of New Orleans in all of its zany glory."CURRENT READ: As for her thoughts on edits made by publishers on classic books, including Roald Dahl and Agatha Christie's books, Cavalier said that it "doesn't seem too different from other abridgments and modernizations of classic literature for children." "Can we separate Christie and Dahl from their racism by changing a few words in their stories? Not really, but people are going to continue to buy and read their work; I honestly view the updates to their language to be a bit of mitigation of harm," she said. "Would people stop reading 'And Then There Were None' if it maintained its original title? Maybe, but it is unlikely that the book would lose its place in the canon or fall out of print even with such an abhorrent title. For that reason, I'm glad the publisher decided to update the language many years ago. I ultimately feel the same about this current round of edits." What are your thoughts on the book ban situation happening across the U.S.? How about editing classics? Those interested in learning more about Cavalier House Books can follow their Instagram @chbbookstore or check out their website. INSTAGRAM |
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