Diary - Expletive deleted

6th November 2009, 12:00am

Share

Diary - Expletive deleted

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/diary-expletive-deleted

It is unlikely to become a problem in your school library, but one renegade reader in the US has become a bit too engaged in preserving his local collection of literature.

A self-appointed censor has taken a blue pen to an estimated 50 to 100 books, trying to obliterate the F-word, and variations of it, wherever it appears. Most of the affected books are mystery novels, although the censor also wielded their pen on a copy of the 911 Commission report into the terrorist attacks in New York in 2001.

Staff at Maury County Library, in Columbia, Tennessee, believe the same person is responsible for all the unauthorised excisions, but have so far been unable to identify the culprit. While efforts to catch them red-handed continue, they have posted signs asking readers not to deface the books.

Director Elizabeth Potts said the library cannot afford to replace the books, so readers will simply have to guess the blanked-out words.

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £1 per month

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters
Recent
Most read
Most shared