Bestselling author Stephen King responded to the ban of his books in Utah public schools. In early July, his second title, ‘Different Seasons’, was added to the list of banned books in all Utah public schools.
King’s Response
King stated that he usually doesn’t respond to book banning queries, but this case is different. He believes that his books can inspire teenagers to read, citing examples of ‘The Stand’ and ‘Pet Sematary’.
‘Different Seasons’ is a collection of four short novellas tied together through various seasons. Three of the four novellas inspired film adaptations, including ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘The Body’, which was made into the movie ‘Stand By Me’.
Under a 2024 Utah law, if three school districts or two districts and five charters remove the same book for containing ‘objective sensitive material’, all public schools in the state must remove the book. This law doesn’t apply to private schools or businesses.
Free Expression
King emphasized that the book wasn’t banned, as it’s still available in bookstores and many public libraries, due to the importance of free expression in American society.
Some local independent bookstores are giving out free copies of books on Utah’s banned list, including King’s works. King hopes that this will encourage Utah school boards to reconsider their decision on ‘Different Seasons’.
According to a report from PEN America, King is the most banned author in U.S. schools, with 87 of his works being censored 206 times during the last school year.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
