To Mark Twain Forum members: WGBH has provided detailed information regarding the forthcoming PBS program, "Born to Trouble: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Information about other programs in the CULTURE SHOCK series and educational outreach follows the press release. Kevin B. "...there ain't nothing more to write about, and I am rotten glad of it, because if I'd a knowed what a trouble it was to make a book I wouldn't a tackled it, and ain't a-going to no more." --Huck Finn, from Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" Celebrated and censored, revered and reviled, "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is one of America's most enduring literary classics, fueling heated debate since it was first published in 1885. Mark Twain's novel is the focus of "Born to Trouble: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," premiering on PBS Wednesday January 26, 2000 at 9pm (check local listings). This ninety-minute film opens the landmark four-part documentary series, CULTURE SHOCK. More than a history lesson, "Born to Trouble" is storytelling at its best, probing important questions about race, class, censorship, and culture: Why does this universally admired book offend so many? How do we distinguish between a critique of a social problem and the perpetuation of the problem? Does the required reading of prior generations have relevance for today's students? "Born to Trouble" utilizes a dramatic retelling of the novel's plot, compelling interviews, and historical artifacts to examine Twain's literary genius, the 100-year-old conflicts surrounding the book, and the American social and political climate from which the novel emerged. Featured interviewees include writer David Bradley and literary scholars Jocelyn Chadwick-Joshua, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, and James Miller. In addition to looking at the past history of the book, the film interweaves both the recent crusade of a Tempe, Arizona mother and her daughter to remove "Huck Finn" from their high school's required reading list, and looks at present-day race relations in Mark Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, which was once a slave-holding town. To many, "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is one of the world's greatest novels--and a national icon. Twain's satirical attack on slavery, hypocrisy, and prejudice in antebellum America compels readers to look not only at slavery and racism but also at the whole tradition of American democracy. It is the story of a white outcast boy, Huck, and his adult friend Jim, a runaway slave, who flee from Missouri together in search of freedom on a raft down the Mississippi River in the 1840s. Most critics agree that Huck's moral awakening to the injustice of slavery is among the most powerful statements against racism in American literature. As writer and Twain expert David Bradley sees it, "You can't arbitrarily say this book is trouble, we're not going to teach it, because a book like 'Huckleberry Finn' is part of American literature. You can't get around it." In Hannibal, Missouri, Twain's hometown and the inspiration for "Huck Finn," residents celebrate National Tom Sawyer Days around every Fourth of July honoring the author by reenacting some of Twain's local activities. Yet according to one Hannibal resident quoted in the film, very few of the African American residents choose to participate in the festivities because Huck Finn "degrades them." "Hannibal presents a selective version of what Mark Twain was about," says Twain scholar Shelly Fisher Fishkin. "It ignores the fact that Hannibal was a slave- holding town. It ignores the role that slavery played in shaping Mark Twain's imagination and in shaping the work of Mark Twain." While many praise the book, there are others who find it offensive. No American novel has been attacked by the public as long and as continuously as "Huck Finn." "Born to Trouble" transports viewers back to the end of the Victorian era when Twain's then new novel was banned from the Concord, Massachusetts public library after members of the Library's committee called the book "trash." Other critics of the time followed suit, denouncing Twain for threatening public morality, childhood innocence, and the purity of the English language. The author's response was equally acrimonious: "Those idiots in Concord are not a court of last resort and I am not disturbed by their moral gymnastics," wrote Twain. Although writers and critics elevated the novel to the canon of classic literature in the 1930s, the controversy surrounding "Huck Finn" was far from over. In 1957, as the Civil Rights movement started to gain momentum, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peopled (NAACP) charged that "Huck Finn" contained "racial slurs" and "belittling racial designations." While they didn't advocate censorship, the book was nevertheless removed from the New York City school system. Since then, the book has been called "racist" for both the use of the word "nigger" and a portrayal of blacks that some consider stereotypical and demeaning. It has been removed from reading lists in schools from Texas to Pennsylvania. "Born to Trouble" chronicles one such school system's battle: Kathy Monteiro, a Tempe, Arizona mother, recently launched a crusade to have the book removed from her teenage daughter's high school curriculum. "I'm wondering as a teacher and as a mother, how you can ask kids to go home and read the word 'nigger' 200-something times in the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and then expect kids to come back to school and not use the word," observes Monteiro in the film. In 1985, the nation marked the centennial of the publication of "Huck Finn" and the 150th anniversary of Twain's birth with celebrations around the country. "Born to Trouble" follows the parties and the protests. Although Twain could no longer respond to his critics--he died in 1910--he had no shortage of supporters. President Ronald Reagan, seen in archival footage in the film, commends the author's legacy. "In the decades to come, may our schools give to our children the skills to navigate through life as gracefully as Huck navigated the Mississippi. And may they teach our students the same hatred of bigotry and love of their fellow men that Huck showed on every page, and especially in his love for his big friend Jim," praised Reagan. Beloved or banned, "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," with nearly 700 foreign editions printed, is one of the best known American novels across the globe, which would undoubtedly please the author. "I have never tried to help cultivate the cultivated classes. I was not equipped for it, either by native gifts or training. And I never had any ambition in that direction, but always hunted for bigger game--the masses," wrote Twain. "Born to Trouble: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is produced and directed by Jill Janows, who also serves as the series' executive producer. The writers are Jill Janows and Leslie Lee. Courtney B. Vance narrates. ************************** ABOUT THE SERIES: CULTURE SHOCK tells the stories of classic works of art--in literature, music, film, and painting--that have been controversial and explores their present-day relevance. Each program examines the cultural conditions, past and present, that lead artists to create and audiences to react. CULTURE SHOCK takes viewers into the heart of the debate about the role of the arts in society and explores the power of new forms of art to enthrall and also challenge. The four series programs are: Born to Trouble: "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" Wednesday, January 26, 2000 at 9pm (90 minutes) One of America's most beloved and banned books, Mark Twain's novel was attacked for its "low morals" when it was published in 1885. Later it became part of the American literary canon, only to become controversial again on the grounds of racism--a charge that is still debated in schools today. Is "Huck Finn" a brilliant satire against racism, or does it reinforce stereotypes? The Shock of the Nude: Manet's "Olympia" Wednesday, January 26 at 10:30pm (60 minutes) The painting is now regarded as a masterpiece, but scandal surrounded the 1865 Paris exhibition of "Olympia." Manet had dared to paint visual art's most universal subject, the nude, as an unidealized woman--a prostitute who boldly stares directly at the viewer. By flouting the accepted ideas of beauty and propriety in art, Manet outraged audiences. Today's visual artists continue to test society's conventions, stirring up new controversies for the modern age. Hollywood Censored: Movies, Morality & the Production Code Wednesday, February 2 at 9pm (60 minutes) The mass appeal of movies, including their graphic portrayals of sex and violence, has made them a target of censors since the medium's early days. In the 1930s, Hollywood studios enforced a set of guidelines for movie content, known as the Production Code, to answer growing charges of immorality. The Code held for more than twenty years. As feature films still have the power to provoke controversy, the question remains: Do movies reflect--or cause--social behavior? The Devil's Music: 1920s Jazz Wednesday, February 2 at 10pm (60 minutes) In its early years, jazz faced resistance across America. Like rap today, jazz was considered a dangerous influence on young people and society. It featured improvisation and the liberating rhythms of the black American experience over classical music forms. As jazz's popularity grew, some fought to suppress the music on moral grounds--but it finally won acceptance as an art form. --------------------------------------------------------- Log on January 10, 2000 to the CULTURE SHOCK companion Web site (www.pbs.org/cultureshock). There visitors will be able to explore their own views about examples of provocative art, learn about arts controversies from ancient times to the present, and gain a greater understanding of the processes of arts censorship. They may also join in a moderated discussion of topics related to the series. --------------------------------------------------------- EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH To accompany the series, WGBH Educational Print & Outreach has developed a CULTURE SHOCK teacher's guide, a "Huck Finn" teaching guide, and a "Huck Finn" coursepack. Teachers can obtain their free copies of one or both teacher's guides by writing to WGBH, Educational Print and Outreach, 125 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02134 (please include grades and subjects taught). "Huck Finn" coursepacks can be ordered for $8.75 plus $4.75 for shipping and handling (total: $13.50) by calling PBS Video at 1-800-344-3337. Please reference special item # HFIN111 CULTURE SHOCK Teacher's Guide This free, forty-page guide provides discussion questions, activities, curriculum links, and resources for all four CULTURE SHOCK films. "Huck Finn in Context: A Teaching Guide" Developed to complement one of the four CULTURE SHOCK films, "Born to Trouble: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," this guide focuses on Twain's famous novel by exploring the controversy surrounding the book, then and now, and providing a comprehensive curriculum that places the book with its historical, literary, and cultural contexts. "Huck Finn Coursepack" This comprehensive coursepack includes a copy of "Huck Finn in Context: A Teaching Guide," the "Born to Trouble: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" video, and a copy of all companion readings cleared for classroom use. ---------------------------------------------------------- NCTE Conference Workshops Denver, CO November 1999 Inspired by the film "Born To Trouble: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"--one of four films from the upcoming PBS series CULTURE SHOCK--WGBH has teamed with the Cherry Hill, NJ School District to conduct two workshops at the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference, November 18-21, 1999 in Denver, CO. WGBH and Cherry Hill educators will share the controversy faced at their school surrounding "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," the steps taken to address the challenge with parents, students and staff, and the "Huck Finn" curriculum which emerged as a result of these efforts. Both sessions are part of the NCTE Rainbow Strand. Contact NCTE at (800) 369-6283 or email [log in to unmask] to register. Session F.44: "Huck Finn: Born to Trouble" Saturday, November 20, 1999 8:00am-9:15am This panel discussion will focus on how school district turned a divisive issue--charges that "Huck Finn" is a racist book and should be removed from the curriculum--into an opportunity to create new curriculum and new relationships among groups. Session J.52 A Novel Approach to Teaching "Huck Finn" Saturday, November 20, 1999 3:15pm-4:30pm This demonstration workshop will describe the new curriculum created as a result of the collaborative effort by Cherry Hill, New Jersey parents, staff, and scholars, which teaches this controversial book in its historical and cultural context.