I love to read history, so when I came across a book that covered a lot of history about libraries–one of my favorite haunts–I had a few weeks of great reading. It was quite fittingly called The Library Book.
Librarians are as diverse as any population, and Charles Lummis (librarian of the early 1900s) brought some interesting ideas into the profession. They didn’t stick, so interesting can be read as unacceptable. He decided he would make sure the library patrons read only “healthy” material and created the “Literary Pure Food Act” to warn readers about certain books with dangerous content.
He despised pseudoscience books which I suppose we classify as Sci-Fi today, so they in particular were the target for his warning system. To his credit, he didn’t take these books off the shelves, but he had a blacksmith make a branding iron with a skull and crossbones, then branded the “distasteful” books on each frontispiece.
Ah, the good old days!
So who was Charles Lummis besides someone who thought it was his duty to protect the reading public from their own bad choices in books?
He was born in 1859, in Lynn, Massachusetts, and became a journalist, and used his pen to advocate for Indian rights and historic preservation. As a young man, he traveled throughout the Southwest, finally settling in Los Angeles. By the end of his life, he had been a historian, photographer, ethnographer, archaeologist, poet, and librarian.
And speaking of books…there’s a new one out February 1 from Dancing Lemur Press!
My Magic Summer
With the Moon Maidens
By Brian Carmody
Print 9781939844804 $17.95
EBook 9781939844811 $4.99
Young Adult – Contemporary Fantasy/Coming of Age/Boys & Men
Who are these moon maidens?
Summer of ’94 and Connor Whelan is excited to spend the last three months before his senior year with his uncle in Texas. Aware this trip is due to his mom’s cancer treatments, he still hopes this will be a season of magic.
He gets his wish when he encounters three magical women one night. Claiming to be from the moon itself, bewitching Iluna, flighty Eiru, and motherly Cassiopeia are about to make Connor’s last summer of childhood one to remember.
However, his interest in local girl Laura puts him in hot water with her tough boyfriend. His fascination with Iluna also confuses him. Will the moon maidens’ lessons about joy, wonder, and hope get him through this crazy summer?
An award-winning screenwriter and author, Brian Carmody is a dreamer, a wisher, a hoper, a prayer, a pretender, and a magic bean buyer. He’s had moondreams from Texas to Virginia, and now California, where he has plenty of other flax-golden tales to spin by his fire. www.brianzwriter.com/
Links:
Dancing Lemur Press – http://www.dancinglemurpressllc.com/new-adult-young-adult
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0965XBJ7Y
Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-magic-summer-brian-carmody/1139629159?ean=9781939844804
iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1573280572
Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844811
Scribed – https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844811&language=0
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58346132-my-magic-summer-with-the-moon-maidens
Quote of the Week: “Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.” Henry Louis Gates, Critic and Scholar
Granny Annie says
DING-DONG by Granny Annie
The heart-shaped box of chocolate-covered Valentine candy was in the back of my car. Garret the creep had given it to me as I was leaving the parking garage. I was completely flummoxed by his approach and did not feel a bit of delight. Not only because I was on a diet but also because it was from Garret. He was not a person I cared to encounter.
Valentine’s Day had come and gone and I did not realize the box of now sticky candy was in the back seat of my car. The candy was tightly wrapped which was a good thing. Garret was waiting for me again as I was leaving the parking garage. I tried to avoid him as he approached me and halted my car. He had looked in my car and saw the abandoned gift he had given me. He was incensed and reached in to grab it. As he inspected this puffy stuffed box he squeezed it then cursed as drippy melted chocolate poured out over him.
Late that same evening I heard the doorbell. “Who in the world?” I thought . I could see it was Garret and I was ready for him.
That night crime scene tape surrounded my property. I had been prepared with my small 25 pistol as Garret had tried to push through my front door.
Sonia dogra says
This was interesting. Much that I think choice of books is subjective I liked the idea of the danger sign to warn readers. In fact I’m giggling to myself wondering what books I’d put there. Thank you for this interesting piece Lee.
Mark C. Noce says
Libraries are so essential to society and keeping them free and open is crucial as well. Still, the fact that controversy abounds even there probably means we’re really using our libraries:)
H A Melton-Butcher says
Hi Lee – censoring is most certainly not new – the Catholic Church produced a list – actually an index – of prohibited books …Index Librorum Prohibitorum (“List of Prohibited Books”) in the 16th century … but more as far back as the 9th C … extraordinary – I’m just so glad in our countries we can read what we like. But fascinating to read about Charles Lummis – I relate so much more, since I spent time in Canada and learnt a little about the west coast and its settlers – cheers Hilary
Patricia Josephine says
I guess we can give him props for not trying to remove the books. LOL
Michael says
I had no idea. Using that skull and crossbones was extreme! WOW. Interesting man, though. He did a lot of good, especially with the Native Americans.
MY MAGIC SUMMER looks like a good read! I hope to read it soon. Thanks for sharing, Lee. Have a good weekend!
Sandra Cox says
Fascinating about Lummis.
I thoroughly enjoyed Moon Maidens.
Hope your muse has been whispering on your shoulder.
Roland Yeomans says
Mr. Lummis would have had a branding field day with my books! Ouch!! He probably gave Mark Twain’s books a double branding. But he was prolific in his interests!
Stephanie@Fairday's Blog says
Mr. Lummis sounds like an interesting librarian for sure. I don’t like the idea of branding books- but it sounds like he also worked to do a lot of good in the world. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Liz A. says
I really like that quote. I kind of respect Lummis for what he did other than the library thing. The library thing ruins him for me. I mean, I kind of get the whole “healthy” book thing, but who decides what is “healthy” and what is not?
Yvonne (@Fiction_Books) says
Besides being a self-appointed literary policeman, it sounds as though Lummis had a very eclectic string of professions under his belt, any one of which would have been a lifetime of work for the normal person, so I assume he probably wasn’t very skilled or qualified at any of them!
I’m afraid that I do tend to agree with his analysis of pseudoscience books though (ducks down out of sight very quickly!). That is one genre that I tend to steer well clear of and which I have never really understood or been able to relate to. I can’t even bear to watch a film or TV sci-fi programme!
A great post, thanks for sharing 🙂
C. Lee McKenzie says
Yes, he did seem to be the Jack of All Trades, didn’t he?
No need to duck. Everyone to his or her own taste. I don’t read romance, and I have several friends who write in that genre. They understand–at least, they say they do. Maybe I should do some ducking myself!
diedre says
I hadn’t heard the librarian tidbit. Interesting fun fact!
Wow! Moon maidens, moon dreams, and magic beans! I like this guy already. “My Magic Summer” sounds like a fantastic read – best wishes to Brian!
C. Lee McKenzie says
Librarians, according to this book, have had some interesting people in their ranks. I learned a lot about the history of the L.A. Library–some nearly unbelievable.
Thanks for the visit today. Great to see you.
Jen at Introverted Reader says
So Lummis tried to warn people away from books that he felt were trashy but also used his voice to help a marginalized group? Interesting. Very few people are all bad or all good, as he proves.
This book has been on my radar since I read Orlean’s The Orchid Thief and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for the history!
C. Lee McKenzie says
Besides being complicated, Lummis seemed to have lived an interesting life. The book had a lot of history that I had no idea about, so I enjoyed reading it.
Thanks for stopping by.
Thomas Anderson says
Hi, Cheryl-Lee!
I’m late today because I was away from the house all morning undergoing a routine medical procedure. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about The Library Book and a judgmental librarian of the early 20th century by the name of Charles Lummis. I’d be willing to bet he didn’t like people calling him “Charlie” or “Chuck.” It’s a hoot that Lummis took it upon himself to decide what people should and shouldn’t read. His warning label reminds me of the Parental Advisory stickers placed on rock and heavy metal record albums thanks to Tipper Gore’s Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) stemming from the watchdog group’s concern over the ill effects such music would have on young, impressionable listeners. All those warning labels managed to do was dramatically boost sales of those albums. I can picture visitors to the library asking Lummis to please point the way to the taboo section where all the good stuff could be found. I wonder if Lummis required women to wear a Scarlet Letter if they dared to check out a book bearing a skull and crossbones sticker. At least he stopped short of burning the books he didn’t like.
Reading about Brian’s book My Magic Summer With the Moon Maidens put a smile on my face. Imagine having an encounter of any sort with three magical “out of this world” women. (If this were an adult oriented tale, a fitting title would be Earth Boys Are Easy.)
ITA with the Quote of the Week when it applies to art, but sometimes censorship becomes necessary to thwart the spread of misinformation, lies, conspiracy theories and hate.
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend Cheryl-Lee!
C. Lee McKenzie says
Glad you were away for only a routine health check. I can’t bear hearing about more of my friends being sick.
I think Lummis stopped short of the scarlet letter, but as I recall, he did require a dress code in his library. That seems to be consistent with the man’s personality.
Maybe Brian will write a sequel. If he does, he could use your title. It’s quite catchy!
Here’s to another wonderful day, week, month…whatever we get.
Thanks for coming over and leaving another of your very welcome comments.
L. Diane Wolfe says
Thanks for spreading the word about Brian’s book.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Sure. Authors need help. I should know, right?
Elephants Child says
Congratulations to Brian.
You will of course be totally shocked and surprised to hear that I am a lover of libraries. And often of librarians.
I am impressed that while Mr Lummis made his personal preferences clear he didn’t enforce them on any one. Other librarians and legislators have been much more restrictive.
C. Lee McKenzie says
You’re right about Mr. Lummis. He was proactive, but not tyrannical. I’m still scratching my head as to how he “branded” those books without burning them to pieces.
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
Congratulations to Brian!
Censoring is nothing new, is it?
C. Lee McKenzie says
It’s not at all new. Can you imagine taking on that responsiblity to tell people what they shouldn’t read?