The Banning of Bless Me, Ultima

On March 31st at 6 p.m. the A.K. Smiley Library will host a talk about the banning of the book “Bless Me, Ultima”. Dr Priya Jha, professor of English at the University of Redlands will be facilitating this talk about banned books as part of The Big Read, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts. The University of Redlands partnered with the A.K. Smiley Public Library and Crafton Hills College to bring a variety of programing centered on this great novel by Rudolfo Anaya. The Big Read is a program designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment. Redlands is one of 77 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read from September 2013-June 2014. From March 1 through April 27, our community will celebrate “Bless Me, Ultima” with a full calendar of events including book discussions, a movie series focusing on ‘coming-of-age’ stories and other relevant activities. Anaya, a professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico, wrote “Bless Me, Ultima” in 1972. It is a coming of age story about a young boy growing up in New Mexico during World War II, struggling with the complexities of his religion and the turbulence found in his extended family. Come hear why this book has been removed from classrooms in New Mexico, Colorado, Texas and California, and was No. 75 on the American Library Assn.'s list of top banned books in the 1990s. Free copies of the book are available at all three partnering organizations. Pick up a copy and join in the discussion.