From Publishers Weekly
Marsh ( Born to Run ) is a rock critic and leader in the fight against censorship and mandatory labeling of rock albums. This volume is "an angry book," he warns, but its tone is surprisingly reasonable. His suggestions are practical and often, at first glance, self-evident, like registering to vote and knowing who your elected representatives are. In some respects, the book is a much-needed basic primer of citizenship. Marsh makes the important connection between "the growing corporate concentration of the publishing, music and film industries" and the concomitant shrinkage in available points of view. He astutely eschews the conventional definition of censorship as state action to cover such phenomena as skewed news judgment that leads to chronic under-coverage of the U.S. labor movement, and the efforts of freelance censors. The book is most useful in the latter area, detailing the ties of such "mainstream" types as Tipper Gore and Susan Baker (wives of Sen. Al Gore and Secretary of State James Baker, respectively) to anti-Semites and right-wing religious loonies. Marsh's "friends" include Allen Ginsberg and John Waters. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-- George Plimpton's foreword raises the issue of censorship through personal experiences, while Marsh's introduction spells out the need for people to know what to do and makes it crystal clear that all expression must be free. Censorship is defined; an annotated list of ten commandments for the fight are given. Journalism, music, literature, and history instructors, among others, can incorporate this data into their instructional program. Students can be introduced to a blueprint for action to protect their freedom of speech.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
