Book ban draws author's ire

CHARLESTON, W.Va., Oct. 25 (UPI) -- A West Virginia school board's decision to remove two books by Pat Conroy from high school reading lists drew the author's anger in a letter to the editor.

In his letter printed during the weekend in The Charleston Gazette, Conroy mostly praised English teachers and area students. But he berated the Kanawha County school board, saying members disgraced themselves for removing “Beach Music” and “The Prince of Tides” from a high school English class.

At least two parents protested the books, asking that they not be considered proper material for upper-level English literature classes at Nitro High School, the newspaper reported.

Conroy said he learned of the board's action "as I was completing my latest filthy, vomit-inducing work."

He said the school board has "entered the ranks of censors, book-banners, and teacher-haters, and the word will spread."

But there is some good in the action he wrote: "Because you banned my books, every kid in that county will read them, every single one of them."