The Disney Movie You May NOT Have Seen!

My favorite Disney film remains the glorious Pinocchio, released in 1940.  However, in 1946, Walt Disney Studios released a short educational film "through the courtesy of Kotex Products," titled The Story of Menstruation. The film features typical Disney animation, along with a straightforward sex education lesson on the workings of the female reproductive system.

Among other sage bits of advice, the narrator suggests that you (the young girl) "...try not to throw yourself off schedule by getting overtired, emotionally upset, or catching cold." The narrator also reassures young girls that not only is it all right to bathe, but it is preferable. Also, girls are encouraged to exercise during their cycle--the animation of a young girl in equestrian garb furiously rocking back and forth on a trotting pony is bizarre, to say the least.

Girls are admonished, "Don't Dramatize Yourself," and are informed that there may be a bit of "pressure" or an occasional "twinge" or "nerves" during this time of the month. However, "...once you stop feeling sorry for yourself...you'll find it easier to keep smiling and even-tempered."

Towards the end, girls are scolded about slouching--one way to ensure that your body functions correctly is to practice good posture and to avoid constipation. It is rather unusual to hear the words "rectum," "vagina," "uterus," and "bladder" in a Disney production, but this film, which runs a little less than 10 minutes, was apparently shown in classrooms until the 1960s.

The film closes with the happy young girl fulfilling her (1940s-style) gender-assigned role of growing up, becoming a bride and then having a baby of her own. Copulation is not mentioned. Ah...Disney! Enjoy!

Best,

Rebecca

Celebrate the National Day on Writing: Sunday, October 20

Sunday, October 20 marks The National Day on Writing, established by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). According to the NCTE website (click here):

The National Day on Writing

• points to the importance of writing instruction and practice at every grade level, for every student and in every subject area from preschool through university,
• emphasizes the lifelong process of learning to write and composing for different audiences, purposes, and occasions, and 
• encourages Americans to write and enjoy and learn from the writing of others. 

 As an instructor of writing, I encourage you to think about the importance of writing (and reading, of course!) as you go about your activities on this beautiful autumn Sunday. 

Best,

Rebecca

Banned Books Week 2013: Discover What You're Missing!

September 22-28, 2013 marks the 31st anniversary of Banned Books Week, sponsored by the American Library Association. As I stated last year, the idea of banning books seems paradoxical in a country that theoretically reveres freedom of speech. There are a number of exciting events which you can participate in--just check out the website!  

Click HERE for the link to the Banned Books Week website.

The 10 most challenged titles of the past year were:

1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey - Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie - Reasons: Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
3. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher - Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group
4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James - Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit
5. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson - Reasons: Homosexuality, unsuited for age group
6. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini - Reasons: Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
7. Looking for Alaska, by John Green - Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
8. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz - Reasons: Unsuited for age group, violence
9. The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls - Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit
10. Beloved, by Toni Morrison - Reasons: Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence

   Click HERE for the Banned Books YouTube Channel, where you can watch authors and others read from banned books.

As usual, I am teaching several banned books in my classes, including Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Ralph W. Ellison’s Invisible Man, Allen Ginsberg's Howl, Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and several others. 

All best,

Rebecca

 

"Four Little Girls" Film This Thursday, Sept. 12 at Plainfield Library

This September marks the 50th Anniversary of the horrific bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama by white supremacists, in which four girls (Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, and Denise McNair) were killed, along with several others injured. Spike Lee’s Academy Award-nominated film, Four Little Girls, will be shown on September 12th in the Anne Louise Davis Room. The film starts at 6:30 PM and I will lead a discussion afterward. I hope you will join us for this extremely important film viewing. Young people are especially encouraged to attend.

Plainfield Library Clean Up on FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 at 10:00 am!

 
Let's Beautify Our Local Treasure!

Volunteers Meet on Library Steps

Gloves, rakes, and bags will be provided

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013, 10:00 am 
 

Plainfield Public Library exterior

 It's that time again, Plainfield! Let's clean the exterior grounds of the library. This season, we have been asked to do the clean-up on a Friday! I hope that everyone who does not have to go to work on this final holiday weekend can spare an hour or so from 10:00 am on Friday, August 30 to assist us.

It is our obligation to ensure that our city's premier cultural and community resource is kept clean. We will gather on the library steps at 10:00 am to begin our work. If you have hedge trimmers, please bring them! We would also like to clean the weeds out of the sidewalk cracks, especially on the Park Avenue side of the library, so if this is your area of expertise, please assist us!

The school year is about to begin, and the library will be busier than ever--especially our Children's Library! Let's ensure that every one of our kids is able to enter our library grounds and see it at its finest--meaning spruced up, cleaned up, and dressed up!

See you there!

Rebecca

Performing Arts I

Making her mark with/
The willful spirit of a/
Negro Ensemble. 

Ethel Ayler (b. 1934), photo by Van Vechten, 1957.

Baldwin

 Profound intellects/
Dealing in unvarnished truth/
Are always suspect.

 James Baldwin (1924-1987), by Richard Avedon, 1963.