Newswire
Posted on April 14, 2022 at 8:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
Remember, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
So it shouldn't surprise any of us to read about an entire county's ban on a book in its public schools and libraries back in 1939.
The book in question? The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, considered a modern classic.
And the county in question? Kern County, California, which was a popular destination for migrant frameworks — you know, like the beleaguered characters in the novel.
Steinbeck's novel came out in April 1939, and the ban was passed just months later, on August 21.
JSTOR explores how Kern County got the idea to ban The Grapes of Wrath and the reactions — both supportive and negative — that it elicited.
Related posts
Categories: Today in Books