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amyjbc's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
A necessary read for those in the fight against book banning.
profpeaton's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
kig's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
richardwells's review against another edition
4.0
Eleven novelists answer the question, "why write," i.e. why do humans tell stories, and especially "why bear witness" and the artist's responsibility to do just that. Short, 128 pages, and fascinating as each writer draws from his/her own political reality to expound on the motivations and aethstetics of the literature of "witness."
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
3.0
I don't think PEN approves of certain internet censorship.
bondebonde's review against another edition
3.0
I read as much of this book as I need to for now. It is fairly run-of-the-mill, reading/writing is great/liberating/identity-forming stuff. That seems like a weird thing to say, but maybe i've just read to many things of that ilk. Was hoping to find an inspiring essay that my girls could latch onto to see some of the wonderful/higher purposes for reading/writing, but perhaps my inability to find such an essay is what makes me feel underwhelmed. Still worthy of three stars though, these are great writers, no doubt, and solid essays.
andreablythe's review against another edition
4.0
This collection of essays, edited by Toni Morison, present varying points of view on censorship and the power of literature in the world. One that sticks out in my mind is Pico Iyer's "The Man, The Men at the Station," the story of how he met a trishaw driver in Mandalay, who shares with him a book he wrote and must keep secret.
I also quite enjoyed "The Sudden Sharp Memory," by Ed Park, which looks at the banning of the book [I am the Cheese] and its real and imagined effect on students.
Though a few are a bit dense and perhaps overly complex, all the essays in this book present fascinating points of view, and all are very well written.
I also quite enjoyed "The Sudden Sharp Memory," by Ed Park, which looks at the banning of the book [I am the Cheese] and its real and imagined effect on students.
Though a few are a bit dense and perhaps overly complex, all the essays in this book present fascinating points of view, and all are very well written.
helie's review against another edition
3.0
What a mixed collection of essays. Some were very insightful, others a drag. Overall they were rather inspiring and thought-provoking.