In a message dated 96-07-25 22:41:14 EDT, you write:

<<
 I have taught the novel myself and dealt with all the attendant issues
 which invariably arise from the community itself.  More recently, my
 campus spent over a year dealing with challenges to Maya Angelou's "I
 Know Why the Caged Bird" sings.  What at first seemed to be a scattering
 of parents claiming that the book was "pornographic and promoted a
 lesbian lifestyle" was in fact a well-organized and orchestrated effort
 by the Radical Right (Committee for Education Excellence and the Eagle
 Forum) against multiculturalism.  The next two targets were Momaday's
 "House Made of Dawn" and Anaya's "Bless Me, Ultima."  Pretty clear, isn't
 it?  I would guess that something similar may be happening in Tempe.
  >>


     I agree with this.  A local school system here recently rejected a high
school American history text book after it had been carefully screened and
approved by all of the teaching staff.  The textbook focused on the
contributions made by women and minorities.  The book came highly praised
and
recommended, yet the school board rejected the book based on one member's
objections, saying it was too "multi-cultural," and that not enough emphasis
was placed on the traditional way of teaching American history.
     After some outcry by the teachers, it was discovered that the
dissenting
board member was a member of a radical right group bent on keeping
multiculturalism out of the schools.  A new vote was taken and the school
board approved the book with only one "nay" vote (guess who).
     The point is, until hidden agendas are discovered by caring teachers
and
parents, any book is in danger of becoming banned from a school's
curriculum.
 These people work from within local school boards and are well organized,
but not vocal.

My Two Cents...
Kathy Method
University of Akron