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September 19, 2019
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Philip Levine

Philip Levine teaches at New York University and has won the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

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THIS WEEK’S ARCHIVE PICK

2nd Look

Five Books Banned for Dubious Reasons—And Why You Should Definitely Read Them

by Our Editors

To Kill A Mockingbird and Fifty Shades of Gray may have more in common than we thought. Both books have made the American Library Association’s annual “Top Ten Most Challenged Books” list, as part of the ALA’s Banned Books Week effort to raise awareness about the freedom to read. While Fifty Shades of Gray might seem like an obvious contender for a list of commonly challenged books, other entries are more surprising. To mark this year’s Banned Books Week, from September 22 to 28, we’ve resurrected five books from the past banned for dubious reasons. We think you’re tough enough to handle it.