Iconic Aussie author caught up in bizarre book ban
Australian author Mem Fox, best known for her iconic Possum Magic book, has become the latest writer caught up in Florida’s wave of book bans.
Her 1988 release Guess What? is the target, facing the ban in schools throughout Duval County over allegations of “pornography” in its depictions of nudity.
The 2022 Florida law, part of the parental rights in conservative governor Ron DeSanti’s education bill, prohibits adults from distributing on school premises any content “of a person or portion of the human body which depicts nudity or sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sexual battery, bestiality, or sadomasochistic abuse and which is harmful to minors".
Punishment for not complying includes a third-degree felony, which can mean a prison sentence of up to five years for any individual caught.
The book asks children to guess the identity of character Daisy O’Grady with a series of questions - all yes or no - before finally revealing that she’s actually a witch.
Illustrations through Guess What? - created by illustrator Vivienne Goodman - see Daisy going about her day-to-day routine, including one key ‘problem’ activity: taking a bath.
It’s this scene that caused the trouble for Fox, with some dubbing it “pornographic”.
However, it isn’t the first time that Guess What? has come into question for its depictions - past reviews took issue with its images of dead fish in underwear as well.
Fox doesn’t seem too concerned about the ban though, with her agent even telling The Guardian that “Duval County is a county of 997,000 people in Florida. It is not important."
As Fox herself said on ABC Radio, “it's pitiful, isn't it? It's like, the Americans keep killing each other with guns and then they do things like this as well.
"You just feel sorry for them, you just think, 'people, you're so unsophisticated, you're so pitiful'.”
She went on to note that Americans had treated her well in the past, in her 100-plus visits to the country over the course of her career.
"They were so kind to me, they were so, so good, so generous, so warm-hearted, so affirming,” she said. “I just grieve for them.”
And when it came to the bath time scene, she was firm in her stance that it is “completely appropriate.
"She's washing herself, she's sort of sitting in this sink, you can't see any of her private parts at all.
"The whole book is about guessing who this person is, it turns out to be a witch in the end."
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