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Becky
Book burning
by Becky - June 14, 2007 - 2:09 PM

s;ldkfjweiEver since bookmarking the ALA book burning page, I’ve been traumatized. But F-451, much earlier, was the first to initiate me into a nightmare world in which books were punished as silent proxies. And now, a Missouri man named Tom Wayne is also burning books:

“This is the funeral pyre for thought in America today,” Wayne told spectators outside his bookstore as he lit the first batch of books. The fire blazed for about 50 minutes before the Kansas City Fire Department put it out because Wayne didn’t have a permit for burning. Wayne said next time he will get a permit. He said he envisions monthly bonfires until his supply — estimated at 20,000 books — is exhausted.”

Even if he does ignite his own private Library of Alexandria, I don’t think he’d be able to single-handedly surpass all the Harry Potter books that have been burned in the U.S.

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Comments (9)

  1. OR…perhaps he could have donated them to a local library to promote his cause.

    Now there is some thinking for you.

    posted by Ed Hands on 6-14-2007 at 3:16 pm

  2. I know paperbackswap.com is begging this guy to let them have the books. They want to rent a truck and go pick them up, then give them away. He told them that many groups have asked for them and he’ll pick someone to give them too…this story makes me think he’s a liar!

    posted by Michelle on 6-14-2007 at 3:34 pm

  3. I don’t remember that part of “Anne of GG”…can someone enlighten me?

    posted by Greg on 6-14-2007 at 4:20 pm

  4. unless i’m thinking of another LMM tome. my apologies if so. though the poor thing (LMM) did, apparently, burn her childhood diaries when she was fourteen.

    posted by Becky on 6-14-2007 at 5:37 pm

  5. why?? i’d gladly take some of those books off his hands!! he has quite a collection. i would love to go see his store

    posted by trouble on 6-14-2007 at 6:24 pm

  6. Maybe anti-vivisectionists should consider slicing up animals?
    What a dumbass.

    posted by Bassman on 6-15-2007 at 5:25 am

  7. That Tom Wayne guy was on “The Book Guys” today, trying desperately to defend himself. Basically, his point was that the statement that burning the books makes is more significant than donating the books would be. It’s a message that will make people sit up and take notice – almost no one would notice if he just donated them. I guess I see his point, but it’s still a shame to burn all those books.

    posted by Molly on 6-15-2007 at 10:19 am

  8. I’d take some of them! All the libraries in both this county and the neighboring one have been closed down. I agree with the fact that burning them gets more attention than giving them away, but still…

    posted by Pointy-Hatted Geek on 6-18-2007 at 4:49 pm

  9. I heard about this… Im a member of paperbackswap.com and they are sending around a petition to all the members so that they can get the books. :-)

    posted by Zack Daschofsky on 6-18-2007 at 5:18 pm

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