Censorship is a strange thing and yet we all do it to some extent. If I am watching TV and my son is in the room and I hear too many swear words, I will change the channel or turn the TV off. I do not feel comfortable watching some of my favourite shows or movies with him nearby now.
The meaning of words change. "Gay" once merely meant happy and authors would describe two men laughing and playing gaily, but now the word "Gay" often means homosexual.
At the Gutenberg Project is a book of Censored Mother Goose Rhymes. From the forward: "The book is dedicated to the censors who have taught us to read naughty meanings into harmless words."
The second reading is one you might take home. A science fiction/ fantasy writing camp in South Carolina runs for two weeks. In the first week, students create a world for their stories. The world on its geography, biology, history and cultures. In the second week, they write stories set in that world. The pdf is here.
I don't think I am a monster. My students don't think they are monsters. Separately, we both think the other is a monster. Communicating by blog feels safer than being trapped together in a room!
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