Statement
"¿Por que
Incineration":
Book Burning in Cuba
Incineration":
Book Burning in Cuba
"Sometimes certain books have been
published, the number
does not matter. But as a matter of principle not a single book
of such kind should be printed, not a single chapter, not a
single page, not a single letter!"....
does not matter. But as a matter of principle not a single book
of such kind should be printed, not a single chapter, not a
single page, not a single letter!"....
Fidel
Castro, 1971
"There
are worse crimes than burning
books.
One of them is not reading them. " ..
One of them is not reading them. " ..
Joseph Alexandrovitch Brodsky
Russian-American poet, 1991
Russian-American poet, 1991
Introduction
The book burning bonfires that Fidel Castro ignited
against "virulent" authors in 2003 show trials.
Top Ten Burned Books
Ten of the many titles Castro sent to the flames
Class Activities: Reading and Analysis
A dozen different class activities based on readings
related to book burning and these ten titles. Students
seek to answer the question "Porque?" Readers will
engage with the ideas found in the "dangerous" books.
Links to History & Practice of Book Burning
World history is full of incidents of book burning.
Tyrants like Castro and movements like communism
and Nazism have ordered books burned for millenia.
These articles will enable students to dip the finger
of inquiry into the flame book of burning, past and present.
List of Books and Materials Burned in Cuba, in 2003
A long list of the various books, magazines, and
pamphlets that were ordered burned after 1-day
show trials of independent librarians. Translated
from original court documents smuggled from Cuba.
About This Project
Why ¿Porque Incineration
The book burning bonfires that Fidel Castro ignited
against "virulent" authors in 2003 show trials.
Top Ten Burned Books
Ten of the many titles Castro sent to the flames
Class Activities: Reading and Analysis
A dozen different class activities based on readings
related to book burning and these ten titles. Students
seek to answer the question "Porque?" Readers will
engage with the ideas found in the "dangerous" books.
Links to History & Practice of Book Burning
World history is full of incidents of book burning.
Tyrants like Castro and movements like communism
and Nazism have ordered books burned for millenia.
These articles will enable students to dip the finger
of inquiry into the flame book of burning, past and present.
List of Books and Materials Burned in Cuba, in 2003
A long list of the various books, magazines, and
pamphlets that were ordered burned after 1-day
show trials of independent librarians. Translated
from original court documents smuggled from Cuba.
About This Project
Why ¿Porque Incineration
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Ode
to a Burnt Book A Poem "Castro can
destroy everything, except for books.
He may censor, ban or even burn them, but the ideas contained in books can never be destroyed. As José Martí once said, "paper trenches are stronger than those built in stone." Carlos Franqui
January 20, 2007 |
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libertas(at)dialmaine.com