On the Banning of Looking for Alaska
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- In which John discusses the American Library Association's recent announcement that his book "Looking for Alaska" was the most challenged book in the U.S. in 2015, responds to those who try to get the book removed from schools and libraries, and discusses the role of teachers and librarians in American life.
You can find the list of the 10 most challenged books in the U.S. here: www.ala.org/bbo...
Thanks to the American Library Association and the Office for Intellectual Freedom, and to all the courageous librarians and teachers out there who stand up for intellectual freedom and banned books.
----
Subscribe to our newsletter! nerdfighteria.c...
And join the community at nerdfighteria.com effyeahnerdfigh...
Help transcribe videos - nerdfighteria.info
John's twitter - / johngreen
John's tumblr - / fishingboatproceeds
Hank's twitter - / hankgreen
Hank's tumblr - / edwardspoonhands
"If you have a world view that can be undone by a novel, let me submit that the problem is not with the novel." - John Green 2016
A really great line. I hope to use it in the future.
yup!
I still don't get it
KILLER line.
He's saying that if your ideology can be so easily shaken and disturbed by a single work of art, it must not be resting on a very sturdy foundation.
♬That was cold bloodeeeeed! ♬
Wow John has such a way with words.. It's like he should write a book or something
+Jordin Farnsworth lol XD
He should start his own RUclips channel first.
Maybe go into song writing
+Jordin Farnsworth Maybe he should teach a class on literature.
oh man I would so be into that! lol
I want to make John saying, "agressively unerotic oral sex" my new text tone
That part made me laugh out loud in a bar. And yes, if you make that a text tone, I want the file.
Same
+Kathy Trithardt Agreed, ditto.
Mine is still John's "dun dun dun honeybadger!"
same
To be fair, I did read divergent and want to jump onto moving trains, but I didn't because, you know, I'd probably die.
+highdrainkey Same tbh. It was one of those things that is "This would be cool and I want to try it, but it probably wouldn't end well so I won't."
Same
highdrainkey -Same
Why don't you try? and, then tell me how it all turned out?
same
Did you hear that clank? That's the Microphone hitting the floor.
Lol
Turn down for what?? *fuck yeah glasses meme*
Thought you were making a ratchet and clank reference for a sec D:
+1234kalmar mic drop
damn 😂 ikr
When I was in middle school I read Mein Kampf and I didn't feel the urge to be a Nazi.
Always heard it was a dry read, is that true?
+sion8 it is I read again when I was in my early 20s and I remember it's difficult to get through.
I've wanted to read it, any opinions/reviews of/on it??
+Carly's World I would recommend that you don't read it all. I haven't read it, but it doesn't seem like it's worth it. There are hundreds of much better and much more rewarding books out there.
+Carly's World read The Communist Manifesto instead, equally if not even more important important political work, and it doesn't call for the extermination of the Jews
First! -John
+vlogbrothers then me you know that
español!!!!!
Yay
even tho I have been sick and in bed for the last 48 your comment john made me laugh so hard 😂 😂 😂 and then cough so idk if it is a good thing or a bad thing
+vlogbrothers Somehow, you have the unique ability to make me laugh for the first time all day with a single word. Bravo John.
Wait. You're John Green? YOU'RE the one who wrote Looking For Alaska? Allow me to submit a formal and entirely non-emotional complaint: YOU HURT MY FEELINGS! Why did you make me care so much about a fictional character! I hate reading, but I read the whole book because it was so engaging and I had to go through a rollercoaster of emotions to finished it. You should be ashamed of yourself and this book SHOULD be banned.
just wait til your friends start dying
Holy shit dude
Wait, so you seek entertainment in videos not pertaining to motor driven cycles?
I know right? So sad. I came to "that scene" yesterday and haven't been able to open the book yet
As Pudge said, in one of the most emotional lines I have ever read, "you can't just make yourself matter then die, Alaska" And no, I'm not crying right now just from thinking about it
The most ironic book banning I can think of was "Fahrenheit 451" banned because they burn books in it.
What the ...duck? Where did that happen? Maybe someone is just preparing a soon to come shift in governmental activity?
NO WAY! Time to google!
this hurts my brain LOL this is the most wild paradox of them all
bahhaha its all about not banning books 😂
Yup. All the time. My own mother participated in book burnings! Fortunately my father put his foot down and would not let her burn his Science Fiction collection. Thus, I was introduced to classics such as Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and The Illustrated Man, Orwell’s 1984, Asimov’s Foundation series, and then-newish books like Michael Crichton’s The Andromeda Strain at a very young age. I’m proud to say I never recovered, and am still reading F&SF to this day. Sadly, the lions of The Veldt never came to life and ate anyone that needed eating (like book burners!), but we DO seem to have been dealing with a lot of Doublethink since John recorded this video in 2016. 😢
I love that book. this one cool teacher in middle school encouraged everyone to read it
+RhythmGrizz I am very grateful to that teacher! (And you of course.) -John
+vlogbrothers No, thank you!I'm a huge fan of all your work. It's humbling to know that my voice has reached you. Paper Towns is a lifelong favorite of mine.
Thanks for turning me on to the Mountain Goats, too! Best wishes, thank you for your time, and have a splendid day
This was a required book in my english class 😂😂
+Neal Shivy that's sweet
My teacher told me I'm not allowed to read any of his books for any work that is related to school
Meanwhile every book by George RR. Martin is in my schools library.....
+Pahwahster Good :)
;)
+James Lawner fxzdr
Damn wish I had those in my school libraries. Then again though those books are technically fantasy so I guess they slide.
LMAO!!!
Teacher here, and first of all, thank you for the vote of confidence John. Second of all, if I am allowed to teach Romeo and Juliet (in which a thirteen year old rather openly wishes for night to come quickly so that she may *ahem* enjoy the company of her new husband), Looking for Alaska also has a place on the bookshelves of our school libraries.
+
Yeah...
+
+
Romeo and Juliet was written centuries ago, when culture was wildly different.
And I really hope you got fired and probably arrested for exposing innocent kids to this sort of book.
when he said "hank, I'll see you on friday" all the voices in my head just went "ooooooo shit"
???Why???
+Marie Lastname yeah, why?
+Gage Smith +Marie Lastname
I think it's because of the way he said it. You could tell that John was actually pretty pissed about this.
There was something in his voice that conveyed anger. And angry John is "Oooooooh shit" worthy.
He sounded more sad and deviated than upset to me. Reminds of the video he did after Esther died.
+David Mark whos esther?
one of these days i'm gonna actually buy, and read, all this guy's books.
+QJadipreneT9 I strongly endorse this course of action. -John
+QJadipreneT9 Do it, especially Looking For Alaska, it's brilliant. :)
All his books are seriously amazing. You wont regret it.
+QJadipreneT9 Don't! Since I bought Paper Towns I've done nothing but reading. Paper Towns, An Abundance Of Katherines, Will Grayson, oh hello... TFIOS. I stay up til 4:30am... cause I'm reading?! It will not let you go!
+QJadipreneT9 Best weekend of my life. I spent 6 hours (got up once) reading "The Fault in Our Stars" and "Paper Towns", then I ate dinner, then spent 4 hours reading "Looking for Alaska" and "An abundance of Catherines". Twas great.
My school has a Banned Book week every year, where all the most popular banned books (ex: Perks of Being A Wallflower, Looking for Alaska, etc) are placed on a shelf by the little lounge section. Plus most of the books we're assigned are highly challenged/banned. It's really nice tbh
+Rebekah Bell I want to go to that school.
you're welcome to come :p
Loooove this
that is so cool
"And ultimately if you have a world-view which can be undone by a novel, let me submit that the problem is not with the novel" I love this quote a lot. Thank you for being so good with words.
wait... looking for Alaska is not about the state?
lol
+Reformed Soteriology I don't know. I never bothered reading it, since I already know where Alaska is...
+Reformed Soteriology no, it's a person's name
+Reformed Soteriology It's not about the state but it is really good. Worth reading if you have the time.
+Reformed Soteriology
this is kind of funny because prior to reading it, for a really long time I expected it to be about some guy's journey to Alaska, and how he's a researcher, and I kept imagining this survival novel and all that cold and I could see the characters and their coats and everything.
turns out it's just about a kid in boarding school (and also some other stuff)
I'm afraid you forgot to drop a mic at the end, Mr. Green.
+1 😂
+
“To be fair, the Bible does contain its fair share of explicit passages.”
Understatement of the year.
John speaking facts
Ezekiel 23:20
My favorite porn writer, King Solomon.
It's a little appalling that Looking For Alaska was #1, but Fifty Shades was #2. Really?? Due to the piss poor writing alone that book should never be read by young people lol.
+
+
Lindsay Mead I agree it's an adult romance series. which only should be read by adults who are okay with that kind of content
+
I'll be a bit cheeky here, but for fans of reading, this whole thread seems to consist of people who don't read even the headlines carefully. It was a list of most challenged books of 2015. So "50 Shades" being on this lift is not surprising at all and has nothing, or little to do with youth or how well it's written.
Meanwhile, in my school in Poland "Looking for Alaska" (in English) will be the 1st prize in the English Idioms contest.
Cześć
*English language. _Idioms_ are something much much different
***** I know. There's a English Idioms contest.
***** I know, right?
Kudos
Well said! And as a teacher of teenagers, thank you for writing books that understand that teenagers are insightful, thoughtful, engaged and intelligent people. Many kids think they hate to read when often they just hate reading things that presume that they are shallow and stupid. You make my job easier!
This. And also apply this to music, movies, TV, stand up comedy, and video games.
THE REASONS FOR BANNING 3 OF THE BOOKS IS HOMOSEXUALITY... SERIOUSLY?
Abigail Donovan that sounds like a joke or a crime
ClaraMarch yeah it's for the books I am Jazz, Two Boys Kissing and Beyond Magenta...no joke...pause the vid at 0:37
Good lord I feel naïve for being shocked about that but to me that's conducted oppression of minorities. And "sex education"? Really? How on earth can sex education be bad? It's important. It's been taught in schools. I got sex education books and brochures from my school at the age of 12.
ClaraMarch yeah many of the reasons for these are ridiculous, downright homophobic and honestly it's kinda scary to see what it shows about our society.
i know this is from 3 years ago, but i have to add, i loled hard at the "public displays of affection" thing
A better educated public might actually read more than one line of a book before wanting to ban it from school libraries...
is it just me or the beard gives him a rounder face?
Definitely
+RichyArg Specifically the thick beard with very short hair. Two weeks ago his hair was much longer so the beard didn't throw off the proportions as much.
I normally don't notice this sort of thing, but yeah this time it makes him look completely different.
count me in
I think so!
+RichyArg I hope it's just the beard, some medication can blow your face up like that and it's certainly not nice (to have).
My school library, during banned book week, creates a whole presentation with all the banned books of that year, about 20 or so, and encourages us to check out those books. That’s why I love my library
Looking for Alaska is my favourite book of all time, it is beautifully written and just an incredible story. I cried more than I've ever cried at a book before and I think about it every day. I will soon be getting a Looking for Alaska quote tattooed on my body. Anyway, I just really love your work, John.
jamie-leigh tyler what quote you getting?
jamie-leigh tyler
I cried the first seven times I read it.
"Maybe it'll have a different ending this time?"
The ending, unfortunately, never changed
jamie-leigh tyler yes exactly it's my favourite book too and as he said reading a text won't show you the context the book is magical
@@sophieg4432 omg yes same !! 😭😭😭
"If you have a world view that can be undone by a novel, let me submit that the problem is not with the novel." - John Green 2016
This is a quote that should go into the history books. Well done.
+Brian McConkey Sorry to rain on your parade but I'm 99.99% sure that a quote like this has been around for a lot longer than this video.
+Brian McConkey It won't go into the history books if the school board can help it.
"Somewhere in America there's a child holding a gun and one holding a copy of The Catcher in the Rye. One of these has been banned, and it's not the one that can rip through flesh. It's the one that says 'Fuck you' on more pages than one."
Somewhere in America, there's a child sitting at his mother's computer reading the entire homepage of the KKK which is opened to the public, but has not read To Kill A Mocking Bird because of its use of the N word." - Youth Speaks. Los Angeles. "Somewhere in America."
Stop Unnecessary Censorship. Censorship Blinds!
Absolutely true.
Best statement I've heard in a long time... "If you have a world view that can be undone by a novel, let me submit that the problem is not with the novel."
"Books don't corrupt us." PREACH IT JOHN GREEN
I'm a teen librarian who also read Looking for Alaska as a teenager. Your "I Am Not a Pornographer" video from 2008 was one of the most influential forces in helping me articulate why books - teen books, in particular - that contain sex or violence or any other of a host of "objectionable" topics should not be banned from our schools and libraries. I have nothing to offer this conversation except a sincere thank you for standing with us!
Yeah, I've been writing a book on my own for a while, and I have some characters who are nazis say some very racist things. Out of context it's terrible but once you realize the entire book shows these racist people getting their asses handed to them. Simply mentioning something happening isn't a support of that thing, it's often the best way to set that thing up to fall.
H A M I L T O N R E F E R E N C E ! ! !
YES!! I wanted to see who else got that! I'm so glad John is a Hamilton nerd too
yay hamlet!
Hamilton trash
#nerdfighteriaforham
I'm 100% hamiltrash
“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book.
Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.” Oscar Wilde
i for one submit the turner diaries as an example of an evil book. intent of the author matters. if they're just telling a story or covering history - all fine. But when you make propaganda and try to dress it up as a novel thats a different story. No subject is off limits. No event in history beneath discussion. But propaganda comes in all forms and with all kinds of intentions.
I would change the word ‘book’ to story, then would totally agree
Mein Kampf:
"Sick, guess I'm off the hook then!"
@@-Teague- Mein Kampf is of extreme historical importance and should be available as such. Back when i was at school my history teach was reading it, and it sure wasn't because she agreed with it's world view...
@@littlemissevel3607 I wasn't calling for it to be banned, I was pointing out the (imo) silly logic of this comment.
My parents always bought me books. My whole family always made sure I'd read many books to expand my creativity and my fantasy. They never told me not to read Stephen King, or books with sexual intercourse in it or things like that. They just made sure I would read.
Looking for Alaska was the first of your Books which I read. And it still Is one of My favorite Books. Since then I read all your books in English and German.
Thank You for all the Inspiration!
How on EARTH did Looking for Alaska beat out 50 Shades of Grey on the most banned list???
Lostbetweenthepages because more people read looking for alaska
Criminally underpaid English teacher here.. just sobbing over my love for people who use their voice for me. Thank you.
I love that you slipped in a subtle reference to Hamilton
Allons y~ omg finally. I thought I was the only one that noticed 😂😂
I also thought I was the only one that noticed lol
What was it ?
When I was in seventh grade, I read the book "hero" by Perry Moore. It kind of intrigued me to start off with, but I was immediately put off by one thing: a questioning, but still very gay, main character. During the read, that fact kept distracting me from the plot, but I've never not finished a book so I read it until the end. Years later, I'm very grateful I read that book. It wasn't extremely well written, it even had a couple of major plot holes. However, it introduced the concept of being gay in a normal light, one that I had not been able to experience with extremely religious conservative parents. And now I identify as bi. Words and books have power and banning them can only be counterintuitive to the progression of humanity.
So ... Looking for Alaska is so pornographic it deserves the first place, putting in second ... Fifty shades of Grey?
Yes its kinda discusting for me- 14yo
I did a presentation in university of why my fellow future teachers should teach "Looking for Alaska". But then again, we Europeans are all porn-loving socialists, I suppose.
"If you have a world view that can be undone by a novel, let me submit that the problem is not with the novel." - The most savagely sophisticated way of thoroughly roasting these ignorant book banners ever. John Green is secretly living the thug life.
FUN HOUSE? FUN? HOUSE?
JOHN GREEN YOU DID NOT JUST CALL FUN HOME "FUN HOUSE."
That was soooo cringey
Im a fucking idiot, I only know now that this guy is the one who wrote fault in our stars
heehee
All I know is that he wrote The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns
This guy also made An Abundance of Katherines, which is a really good book. I gifted that book to a girl for her birthday, and her name is Katherine!
And he wrote Will Grayson, Will Grayson with David Levithan!
+Andalynne Moore Damn, that's one of my favorite books.
It looks like his glasses are squeezing his head lol
yesss
just noticed that 😂
+PixelatedSquare It is called being near sighted
+havtor007 Look at his head. The top part in comparison to the bottom
His head is like a peanut
1. The sick burn at the end was awesome
2. The Puff has now moved from the top of your head to your chin
3. My Puff realisation distracted me from what you were saying so I better watch this again...
in 2013 students in my secondary school went absolutely nuts over looking for Alaska, every kid you'd see walking down the hall or sitting off somewhere was reading or holding that book :) that's how I came across you and your books my friend Erin was reading it none stop and crying over it in registration everyday and so I went and bought it, needless to say it won book of the year in my school coming in at #1
So,... aggressively unerotic oral sex is more sexually explicit than Extreme BDSM?...I'm very proud of this world..
As a high school teacher and therefore one of those highly trained, criminally underpaid and possibly more qualified professionals better able to make these decisions, I just want to say I don't know many students who read _Divergent_ without thinking it would be pretty cool to jump onto a moving train. Lord knows I do...
+juststeveschannel As a high school student, I can agree with this.
I think censorship in schools is very harmful to students, it means that people leave school with a very narrow view of the world and even if books contain ideas or science that are considered distasteful they should not be banned because people have these views,I'm the real world and to pretend that things you see as taboo don't exist dose the help anyone.
Sucks to be a Newcastle supporter eh ;)
Peter Jones It sucked to be a Sunderland supporter More last year tho
There are exactly my camplain against society and the educational system a nd so many other systems.
Maybe schools shouldn’t be providing kids with soft core pron. Nobody is stopping these kids from asking their parents to buy it for them.
4/5 Graders should never be exposed to Anything with sexual Content..
If you do so Outside of A school setting it is Considered a serious crime
"If you have a world view that can be undone by a novel, let me submit that the problem is not with the novel."
I argue that a novel can (and furthermore sometimes should) be able to undone your world view and it's completle normal (espicially for young people seeking for answers).
This is how learning works. You not only add new information to your brain, but also reinterpret and rethink already existing knowledge. No one born with strong opinions, so we learn to find what seems right to us.
Personally I can remember how groundbreaking and impressive to 13 y.o. me was to read "Anna Karenina", it's ideas of kindness and happiness realy changed my world view (and probably save me a few years getting this ideas through personal expirience).
P.S. I agree with everything else in this video, and definetly against banning (any) books
have a reply after 2 years... you are arguing by agreeing ??
"I argue that a novel can (and furthermore sometimes should) be able to undone your world view and it's completle normal..." that is the point. A book can change your view.. and when it does that is not the problem with the book.. its problem with your view...
"And write musicals about treasury secretaries."
I almost lost it when he said that because HAMILTON AND THE GENIUS THAT IS LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA!!!
My English teacher has a pile of banned books in her room for people to read, won't be surprised to see yours
And how come Fifty Shades of Grey is number 2? Hell, it's got more explicit content or should I say the whole book is an explicit content! It's an erotic. While Looking For Alaska... jeez.
+Patrice Urie _Fifty Shades of Grey_ was banned because it's a shitty book that no one of any age should read.
Eristitia Oh yes, I apparently know. That's why I asked why it's number 2, it should've been rank 1, instead of Looking for Alaska.
+Patrice Urie erotic is one word, abusive and shittily written is another
+Patrice Urie But schools therefore are unlikely to carry Fifty Shades, and YA/kidlit is more likely to be challenged generally.
Patrice Urie exactly
My school still has a copy of Looking for Alaska in the library. Haven't gotten all the way through it, but I will eventually.
Keep doing that writing thing, John. It really suits you.
Looking for Alaska should be banned for the emotional turmoil it put me through for days after it. Why John! I trusted you! I trusted you John!
Can we talk about how the very books that many children and teenagers need are being banned??? How people are trying to strip LGBTQ youth of the resources that could help them, take away these stories that tell them that they are not weird and not alone? It's scary, harmful, and completely unacceptable.
♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎
yes! this is *precisely* what I was thinking whilst reading though that list. it's ridiculous and homophobic and just generally pisses me off. the fact that books can get banned for having lgbtq+ protagonists makes me very angry and sad.
I know. People seem to be taking this lightly but I'm genuinely concerned :/ For me banning these books is one of the worst things people can do. And we wonder why people are homophobic! This could be one of the main reasons :(
+SomeoneCalledDana Yeah I was really upset to see descriptions like "anti-family" and people brazenly citing "homosexuality" as a good enough reason to challenge it. & the wonderful I Am Jazz on that list :( :( ugh.
Yeah. It really sucks to be perpetuating this idea that same-sex attraction is inherently dirty. That's a horrible message to encounter when you're young, even if you're just trying to come to terms with your sexuality on your own, let alone having to deal with anyone else's reactions.
Wait....... Why did they want to ban Funhaus? They only want to play games!
/\
+Otter Space MATT PEAKE!
/\
Next on The Know "WE'VE BEEN BANNED?!?!?"
demo disk
I decided to watch some vlogbrothers because I was having a writer's block on my paper about the importance of a good education system. This video just happened to be the first one I clicked on this evening. Needless to say the block is gone. Thank you John for your continuous flow inspiration.
why is this still a problem instead of a movie Damn it
Looking for Alaska is honestly one of the best books I have ever read, and I am legitimately sorry for any of those people who may not have the opportunity to read it now. Good job, John.
+Bekah Burton Its sold at wal-marts all across the nation for about seven bucks. Anyone that wants a copy can find one. You can find used paper back copies on amazon even cheaper. Also just because a book is challenged does not mean its successful. My local library dismisses most of these, especially if the book is a Printz winner.
I'm with you! It's my favorite book of Johns and it's so eye opening
Carly's World Yeah, I've read all of his books, and that one for whatever reason strikes me as the most profound.
I don't understand how Two Boys Kissing was banned for a) homosexuality and b) ....PDA. And that's it.
“Teenagers are critically engaged and thoughtful readers”... Wow john just made me realise I’m not an egg. Also, Looking for Alaska is one of my favourite books ever.
Banned books are usually the best books...not all the time, but usually.
In which John gives a well-deserved shout-out to teachers and librarians and makes me love him even more...
Gotta say though, banning something, in a way creates a new type of following from the people who explicitly get interested of banned material.
+neverAskMeWhy07 so true...
That's my favorite John Green book :( I think everyone should read it.
same!
I just realised he was John Green now, and I watch this channel for some time
"the office for intellectual freedom just released its list of banned books"
+Gstrangeman96 they are not the ones who ban them.
+richard mattson Yup..and you must be the one who's definitely not as cool as he thinks he is.
+Mohammad Ahmad still, it sounds weird that THAT office published THAT list, even if it was not made by the office itself.
John's book was above Fifty Shades Of Grey, and the Bible.
Gotta love it.
+TheMotherfer only place it will be...
asside from review websites
_"Reasons: Homosexuality and others (condones public display of affection)"_
Ok that's just homophobic!
Nathan Conder The teachings of the Bible can be shoved down one’s throat. Often, however, the people shoving the Bible down your throat aren’t children.
That ending was professional, and just straight-up badass.
+Jonah Morris yes.
I'll never be able to understand who or what these people think they are protecting the kids from when they ban books like this...
yours is one of my favorite ya novels, and fun home... is absolutely amazing...
go figure...
It said two boys kissing was on there for homosexuality with public displays of affection. That's pretty fucked up that people would ban it but keep het books with actually more explicit stuff. Several books were up there for homosexuality. It would waste less time painting the words "this school is full of bigots" all over every surface in those schools than trying to get books banned that have nothing wrong with them.
+KatieRouge neither would I. It's so sad.
+KatieRouge yep, probably.... as if they could control hormones by not letting their children read certain books...
John just dropped the mic!
I am literally 6 years late but I just wanna say that I am extremely lucky to have been in the class that had this book as the book project
I read the title literally for a second and got so confused as to why people couldn't look for Alaska...
so much yes to that last line!
looking for alaska is one of my favorite books and I think it would be a pity if it were to be banned because I want other students to read it too!
Omg same
John, I read Looking For Alaska eight years ago, aged 13. These were my most easily influenced years and I did lots of stupid things. However, from memory what I learned from Looking For Alaska was:
1. That coming to understand who you are in the world is a near impossible task, though it's worth trying.
2. Other people will never be within our control and all we can do is accept their choices.
3. That relationships are endlessly complicated and that's ok.
I learned so many important things, and Looking For Alaska was one of many books that formed a key stepping stone from child to adult. It makes me sad to think other young people will miss the opportunity to absorb this book with all its words and in all its context and feel better about being a young person.
Thank you for creating Alaska John!
Looking for Alaska is one of my favorite books and, without a doubt, your best book.
Something about John's voice and how quickly he talks soothes me...
So well spoken thanks for making this video, I look at books a whole different way now.
I'm having a binge of old videos and the line "I love you Alaska Young," give me the worst chills even to this day. Thank you John, Looking for Alaska is always the book I go to to make the world feel real again, after a depression in my own life.
When I was in high school, we were required to read "If Beale Street Could Talk" By James Baldwin. There are some very explicit sex scenes in that book and it left the student body all a flutter. But it was not banned, nor did anyone even TRY to ban it. And we're talking the deep south in the mid-1970's here. Of all the books I had to read in high school, this one stuck with me the most. Not because it was a terrific book (though it was) but because it showed me that students could be trusted to read books with adult themes and have to experience no consequence in their world other than having read a great book.
One easy way to find good books is to go check out the list of the most frequently challenged books on wikipedia. I am completely serious.
Oohhh major shade thrown at the narrow minded by John! Keep up the amazing work John, your novels are something truely remarkable and I believe that no knowledge should be banned from people. The ability to ban books in america is a horrific injustice to these students. But on the other hand props on having created a book so amazing that the people of narrow minded worldviews feel threatened by it
This video prompted me to buy Looking for Alaska, which I didn't even know existed up until that point. It was amongst the first three books I had bought out of my own free will in nearly a decade. I've just now gotten around to reading it in my free time and I don't regret a thing. While a few scattered passages are a bit explicit, the book in its entirety is fairly mild compared to what you may find on television or even in schools. I see why the book is challenged, but that by no means should make people turn the other way. The fact that it was so challenged is what led me to consider reading it. No spoilers here but I found myself able to relate in a few places, and my desire to read for the sake of reading has been resurrected.
Thank you, John Green.
Looking For Alaska, Two Boys Kissing, and Fun Home are three of my all time favorite books.
These are cases in which my faves aren't problematic. Society is.
"If you have a world view that can be undone by a novel, let me submit that the problem is not the novel." I was actually just thinking about this in terms of criticism in general, how a lot of people's problems with certain lifestyles and povs are largely from their own doubts about the legitimacy of their opinions and idk it's just interesting to think about
People are interesting(ly hilarious).
The Nazis burned Books, they invaded Russia in the winter and were convinced Einstein was the scourge of humanity...
Anyone else's bullshit detector go off there?
+Christopher OBrien Hi, I guess I'm just a little confused about how this applies to my comment!
That ending... you forgot this: *mic drop*
John, while you brought up probably the main point that needed to be addressed, which was why the challenged scene was included, I think there was SO much left out of this video. You have expressed in many previous videos and blog posts the exactness of your defense of the matter, and if this video is to be THE video represent your stance on the matter, I personally think it could have been done better.
I have read Looking for Alaska, and I completely agree with your points. I think your writing was spot on as to an accurate depiction of academy life, whether or not school boards want to accept it. To think that your book has been challenged as much as it has been is ridiculous because your book does have a great message. So in general I must commend you for both writing such a well-written book, but also putting up with the decades's worth of backlash. Not all authors can handle that. I admire you a lot, John.
whenever you mention hamilton i get super excited
I love Looking For Alaska! I'm a sophomore and just moved to into a new district with extremely paranoid policies. I wish the powers that be would take into consideration how beneficial books or technology is for the students and the school atmosphere. It's sad that so many students aren't encouraged to read or learn about moving stories or important issues because someone else deems it "inappropriate" in a very uneducated way. DFTBA
and also..... HAMILTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I see you, John!)
lol this is censorship. It's a great book, people need to get a life.
YAS Phan. YAS.
+Percabeth Lover YES Percabeth. YAS.
+Percabeth Lover YES
In case you haven't noticed there's a HUUUGE " I'm offended! I'm a victim! I'm oppressed! I want to ban everything that I disagree with!" Movement thingy going around, these days.
+Mohammed Jalloh what annoys me the most is parents wanting to shield their kids from the word and anything to do with SEX. I can assure them their child is not totally oblivious, they have heard and know about it. Get over it, your kid is growing up, did you not expect that to happen?
When I was in middle school (about a decade ago), I was one of the only people in my friend group who ever read books for pleasure. I once tried to talk about books to two of my friends, and both said (in their own ways), "My favorite book ever is Looking for Alaska. It's the only book I've ever wanted to read again." IT GOT MIDDLE SCHOOL NON-READERS TO READ SOMETHING TWICE! It shouldn't be banned.
I saw the Hamilton reference coming a mile away and it still made me tear up.
Ooohhhhh... John Green just dropped the burn on the people who banned it. "The problem is not my book..." Most epic burn ever. I think they need and ice pack 4 that!!!!
His entire point was, "Not up to me as I have no experience in that field so can't give a informed answer."
So, John probably won't see this but I'd love for anyone to answer - Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl is banned in my school, and in the country I'm staying in (Kuwait) since it's a Muslim country. I was on good terms with my librarian and she let me borrow a copy that she had, and explained to me why it was banned, something along the lines of it being about the Holocaust/Nazi regime/Jews/and I guess strong political viewpoints. So the ministry of education doesn't like that. But do you think it should've been banned? It was certainly an eye-opening book, and I don't think they should've banned something that gives us an insight into how life was in the past.
+Hana Sophia Isn't 'Kuwait some kind of low key dictatoriship tho?
Maulo93 I'm really not into the politics here so I can't say for sure. But I haven't had any reason to think that it is in the couple of years that I've lived here for
Filip Molin And I completely agree with you. The people who would borrow the book would probably be people genuinely interested in the subject, and I don't see how that would cause any harm. The censorship laws here are quite strict - an entire section on same-sex families in one of my textbooks was banned, and numerous other sections like one referring to evolutionism. Still, they usually base those decisions on Islamic values, and it's pretty hard to argue against religion here even though I myself am a Muslim.
There’s a guy in my county running for school board 100% based on how he “found this book” in a middle school library… and it’s not even in the county’s database/didn’t have a barcode to scan. But everyone thinks he’s Harold Hill, & this is River City. I am so sorry that these people want to ban your book, without reading it (I can only assume at this point, that they can not read… as it’s been over a year & they still have not read it!) People are so ridiculous. Thank you for this video!