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Reading Stephen King: Issues of Censorship, Student Choice, and Popular Literature

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Reading Stephen King: Issues of Censorship, Student Choice, and Popular Literature DOCUMENT RESUME ED 414 606 CS 216 137 AUTHOR Power, Brenda Miller, Ed.; Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., Ed.; Chandler, Kelly, Ed. TITLE Reading Stephen King: Issues of Censorship, Student Choice, and Popular Literature. INSTITUTION National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, IL. ISBN ISBN-0-8141-3905-1 PUB DATE 1997-00-00 NOTE 246p. AVAILABLE FROM National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096 (Stock No. 39051-0015: $14.95 members, $19.95 nonmembers). PUB TYPE Collected Works - General (020) Opinion Papers (120) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC10 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Censorship; Critical Thinking; *Fiction; Literature Appreciation; *Popular Culture; Public Schools; Reader Response; *Reading Material Selection; Reading Programs; Recreational Reading; Secondary Education; *Student Participation IDENTIFIERS *Contemporary Literature; Horror Fiction; *King (Stephen); Literary Canon; Response to Literature; Trade Books ABSTRACT This collection of essays grew out of the "Reading Stephen King Conference" held at the University of Mainin 1996. Stephen King's books have become a lightning rod for the tensions around issues of including "mass market" popular literature in middle and 1.i.gh school English classes and of who chooses what students read. King's fi'tion is among the most popular of "pop" literature, and among the most controversial. These essays spotlight the ways in which King's work intersects with the themes of the literary canon and its construction and maintenance, censorship in public schools, and the need for adolescent readers to be able to choose books in school reading programs. The essays and their authors are: (1) "Reading Stephen King: An Ethnography of an Event" (Brenda Miller Power); (2) "I Want to Be Typhoid Stevie" (Stephen King); (3) "King and Controversy in Classrooms: A Conversation between Teachers and Students" (Kelly Chandler and others); (4) "Of Cornflakes, Hot Dogs, Cabbages, and King" (Jeffrey D. Wilhelm); (5) "The 'Wanna Read' Workshop: Reading for Love" (Kimberly Hill Campbell); (6) "When 'IT' Comes to the Classroom" (Ruth Shagoury Hubbard); (7) "If Students Own Their Learning, What Do Teachers Do?" (Curt Dudley-Marling); (8) "Disrupting Stephen King: Engaging in Alternative Reading Practices" (James Albright and Roberta F. Hammett); (9) "Because Stories Matter: Authorial Reading and the Threat of Censorship" (Michael W. Smith);(10) "Canon Construction Ahead" (Kelly Chandler); (11)"King in the Classroom" (Michael R. Collings);(12) "King's Works and the At-Risk Student: The Broad-Based Appeal of a Canon Basher" (John Skretta);(13) "Reading the Cool Stuff: Students Respond to 'Pet Sematary'" (Mark A Fabrizi);(14) "When Reading Horror Subliterature Isn't So Horrible" (Janice V. Kristo and Rosemary A. Bamford); (15) "One Book Can Hurt You...But a Thousand Never Will" (Janet S. Allen);(16) "In the Case of King: What May Follow" (Anne E. Pooler and Constance M. Perry); and (17)"Be Prepared: Developing a Censorship Policy for the Electronic Age" (Abigail C. Garthwait). Appended are a joint manifesto by National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). and +++++ ED414606 Has Multi-page SFR--- Level =l +++++ International Reading Association (IRA) concerning intellectual freedom; an excerpt from a teacher's guide to selected horror short stories of Stephen King; and the conference program. Contains a 152-item reference list of literary works.(NKA) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** VZ1 gt **1-45 em-hen MR/1111k /1111IN "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS Ki MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy Edited by Brenda Miller Power, Jeffrey D.Wilhelm, and Kelly Chandler BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 Reading Stephen King 3 Editorial Board: Pat Cordeiro, Bobbi Fisher, Xin Liu Gale, Sarah Hudelson, Bill McBride, Al leen Pace Nilsen, Helen Poole, Jerrie Cobb Scott, Karen Smith, Chair, ex officio, Michael Greer, ex officio 4 Issues of Censorship, Student Choicet and Popular Literature Edited by Brenda Miller Power Jeffrey D. Wilhelm Kelly Chandler Urdversity of Maine Nab,oaail Council of Teacheis of English W. Kemiort Road, Tirballa, Illinois 61801-1096 J3 '3`11' CIITY AVAll11.43112 Staff Editor: Zarina M. Hock Interior Design: Doug Burnett Cover Design: Doug Burnett NCTE Stock Number: 39051-3050 © 1997 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. It is the policy of NCTE in its journals and other publications to provide a forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teaching of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any par- ticular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where such endorsement is clearly specified. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Reading Stephen King: issues of censorship, student choice, and popular literature / edited by Brenda Miller Power, Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Kelly Chandler. p.cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-8141-3905-1 (paperback) 1. King, Stephen, 1947 Study and teaching (Secondary). 2. Horror tales, AmericanStudy and teaching (Secondary). 3. High school studentsUnited StatesBooks and reading. 4. CensorshipUnited States. 5. Canon (Literature). I. Power, Brenda Miller. II. Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., 1959 . III. Chandler, Kelly, 1970 . PS3561.I483Z8 1997 813'.54dc21 97-34367 CIP AC 6 For Ed Brazee, who learns from and advocates for adolescents Contents Acknowledgments ix List of Illustrations Introduction 1.Reading Stephen King: An Ethnography of an Event 3 Brenda Miller Power 2.I Want To Be Typhoid Stevie 13 Stephen King 3.King and Controversy in Classrooms: A Conversation between Teachers and Students 23 Kelly Chandler, John D'Anieri, Matt King, Sierra Knight, Jeff Poulin, Brenda M. Power, and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm Choice 4.Of Cornflakes, Hot Dogs, Cabbages, and King 37 Jeffrey D. Wilhelm 5.The "Wanna Read" Workshop: Reading for Love 51 Kimberly Hill Campbell 6. When IT Comes to the Classroom 61 Ruth Shagoury Hubbard 7.If Students Own Their Learning, What Do Teachers Do? 73 Curt Dudley-Marling 8.Disrupting Stephen King: Engaging in Alternative Reading Practices 83 James Albright and Roberta F Hammett 9.Because Stories Matter: Authorial Reading and the Threat of Censorship 95 Michael W. Smith Popular Literature 10. Canon Construction Ahead 105 Kelly Chandler vii 8 VIII 11. King in the Classroom 117 Michael R. Collings 12. King's Works and the At-Risk Student: The Broad-Based Appeal of a Canon Basher 127 John Skretta 13. Reading the Cool Stuff: Students Respond to Pet Semataiy 139 Mark A. Fabrizi 14. When Reading Horror Sub literature Isn't So Horrible 149 Janice V Kristo and Rosemary A. Bamford Censorship 15. One Book Can Hurt You ...But a Thousand Never Will 163 Janet S. Allen 16. In the Case of King: What May Follow 177 Anne E. Pooler and Constance M. Perry 17. Be Prepared: Developing a Censorship Policy for the Electronic Age 185 Abigail C. Garth wait Reference List of Literary Works 199 Appendixes 207 A. Common Ground 209 Prepared by the Joint Task Force on Intellectual Freedom of the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association B. Excerpt from A Teacher's Guide to Selected Horror Short Stories of Stephen King 221 C. Program of Events for the Reading Stephen King Conference 233 Editors 243 Contributors 245 9 Acknowledgments In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott writes, "We are not here to see through one another, but to see one another through." It would be impossible to thank all the people who have seen us through this project, but a few deserve special thanks. The steering committee for the Reading Stephen King Conference Rosemary Bamford, Ed Brazee, Phyl Brazee, Robert Cobb, Ethel Hill, Virginia Nees-Hatlen, Jan Kristo, Paula Moore, and Tom Perryworked for eighteen months to develop an inspiring event that led to this book. A special thanks goes to Kay Hyatt, who coordinated media relations, and Susan Russell, who took care of myriad daily details. This book would not have been possible without the care and commitment of these people in planning the original conference. Stephen King's participation challenged us to do more than cele- brate his work. His provocative views and humor encouraged us to lighten up about issues of choice and censorship and bear down at the same time to get new perspectives on old concerns. The contributors to this volume made one impossible deadline after another in drafting and revising their chapters. Their commitment, drive, and good sense illuminate many pages in this volume. Michael Greer and Karen Smith at NCTE provided the enthusiasm and confidence that sustained us over the past year. We are grateful for their willingness to publish work that will move debates in English edu- cation in new directions and for their savvy in balancing political and practical agendas. Finally, we thank the many teachers who will read this book with open minds and make changes in their thinking and instruction. We know how tough it is to navigate the fault lines between popular literature and popular culture in adolescent reading programs, and we're grateful that so many are willing to try. 10 IX List of Illustrations Chapter 1.Headlines from press coverage of the Reading Stephen King Conference. Chapter 2.Stephen King delivers keynote address at the Reading Stephen King Conference. Photograph by Monty Rand, Monty Rand Photography. Reprinted with permission.
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