{"id":4219,"date":"2022-01-10T22:17:47","date_gmt":"2022-01-10T22:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8000\/?page_id=4219"},"modified":"2023-04-05T19:13:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T02:13:04","slug":"book-ban-rare-victory-for-conservatives","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/background\/behind-the-basketball-diaries\/the-basketball-diaries-controversies\/book-ban-rare-victory-for-conservatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Ban Rare Victory for Conservatives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/em>
14 July 1998
By Milo Ippolito<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gwinnett library board’s move to ban “The Basketball Diaries” is a victory for two conservative board members who typically hold a minority viewpoint on what belongs on the bookshelves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jennifer Toombs, co-founder of Citizens for Family Friendly Libraries, and Ann MacLeod, owner of a Christian bookstore, had the majority Monday in a 2-1 vote to remove the book if it fits the state’s legal definition of being harmful to minors. They also held sway on votes to refrain from purchasing any books that meet the definition and to allow a majority of the board to place any book in the parental advisory section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If they want to limit the collection to what’s appropriate for sixth-graders, that would be very limiting for adults,” said board member Debbie Tuschall, who cast the sole vote against the measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Board Chairman Andy Pourchier also dislikes the new policies and disagrees with the decision to ban the book, which remains on the shelf while the legal question is reviewed. But Pourchier’s hands were tied Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Gwinnett library board members voted on a motion to ban a book, “The Basketball Diaries,” if it was deemed harmful to minors by the state:
Jennifer Toombs:<\/strong> In favor
Ann MacLeod:<\/strong> In favor
Debbie Tuschall: <\/strong>Against
Andy Pourchier: <\/strong>Couldn’t vote
Peggy Tucker:<\/strong> Didn’t attend<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Board member Peggy Tucker was absent, and, as chairman, Pourchier can vote only to break a tie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The policies are likely to be reversed the next time the full board is present, according to Pourchier. Procedurally, the board cannot rescind an action, he said, but it can carefully word a new motion to achieve the same result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Basketball Diaries” describes the life of a young heroin addict who resorts to prostitution to support his habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I think it’s porno,” MacLeod said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The split on the board over the book was repeated when it came time to adopt a fiscal year budget during the same meeting. Tuschall moved to adopt the proposed $11.2 million budget, and MacLeod and Toombs abstained. The chairman now must call a meeting before July 1, or Library Director Jo Ann Pinder says she will be forced to close the doors on the system’s nine branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MacLeod and Toombs said they did not vote because they did not have enough information. A budget work session was held the day after Memorial Day, even though they both could not be there, they said. Pourchier and Tuschall suggest MacLeod and Toombs were trying to make a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I don’t know what they’re up to,” Tuschall said, “but they appear to be headed toward closing down the libraries.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, disagreements on the board revolve around whether certain materials should be kept away from minors or removed from the library — most often because of nudity or sexually graphic content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alliance between Toombs and MacLeod is a loose one. Toombs came on board with an activist’s agenda to change library policies about sexually oriented materials. MacLeod, a newer appointee, does not claim any association with an activist group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detractors have accused them of trying to impose right-wing religious values on the library system. They disagree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This isn’t religious Bible-thumping,” Toombs said. “I think there is religious persecution here just because someone goes to church in their private life.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution14 July 1998By Milo Ippolito The Gwinnett library board’s move to ban “The Basketball Diaries” is a victory for two conservative board members who typically hold a minority viewpoint on what belongs on the bookshelves. Jennifer Toombs, co-founder of Citizens for Family Friendly Libraries, and Ann MacLeod, owner of a Christian bookstore, had … Continue reading Book Ban Rare Victory for Conservatives<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4701,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"folder":[89],"class_list":["post-4219","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P9VlUH-163","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4350,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/background\/behind-the-basketball-diaries\/the-basketball-diaries-controversies\/book-banning-vote-not-likely-until-august\/","url_meta":{"origin":4219,"position":0},"title":"Book-Banning Vote Not Likely Until August","author":"catholicboy.com","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution14 July 1998By Milo Ippolito The debate over whether to ban Jim Carroll's \"Basketball Diaries\" from Gwinnett County libraries probably will not be resolved before August. County Solicitor Gerald Blaney, who was asked for an opinion on whether the book meets the state definition of being harmful to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4701,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/background\/behind-the-basketball-diaries\/the-basketball-diaries-controversies\/","url_meta":{"origin":4219,"position":1},"title":"The Basketball Diaries: Controversies","author":"catholicboy.com","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Film and Book Blamed for Colorado Shootings Carroll's interview on NBC's Today show (5\/6\/99): https:\/\/youtu.be\/fV8zfL5DGhk?si=EYLaiEEiqZRbR2-J Carroll's appearance on Politically Incorrect (6\/8\/99) Complete transcript Linking of 'Basketball Diaries,' Columbine Shootings Upsets Author (5\/6\/99)By Nick Carter, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Jim Carroll Website Editorial (May 1999)by Cassie Carter, webmaster Columbine: Whose Fault Is\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/fV8zfL5DGhk\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4169,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/research\/feature-articles\/jim-carroll-from-poet-to-rocker-and-back\/","url_meta":{"origin":4219,"position":2},"title":"Jim Carroll: From Poet to Rocker–and Back","author":"catholicboy.com","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"By Karla PetersonThe San Diego Union\u00a07 July 1989 There was one problem with the ad touting the upcoming appearance of the Jim Carroll Band at an Atlanta theater: the Jim Carroll Band wasn't appearing there. \"Our advertising is always real specific that I'm doing a reading and not a concert,\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10503,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/works\/articles-poems-by-jim-carroll\/boston-trio-by-jim-carroll-the-sunday-post-22-may-1988\/","url_meta":{"origin":4219,"position":3},"title":"Boston Trio. By Jim Carroll. The Sunday Post, 22 May 1988","author":"Cassie Carter","date":"June 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Shared by Dominik Frankowski TBD if this is \"our\" Jim Carroll or another . . . Dominik Frankowski wrote me to say: \"I have a poem that was written in and around 1988-1990 by Jim Carroll titled \u201cBoston Trio\u201d about my dad, brother and I; my family and I were\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4595,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/research\/book-reviews\/review-of-the-basketball-diaries-and-foreced-entries-by-christopher-lehmann-haupt-jim-carroll-book-reviews-catholicboy-com\/","url_meta":{"origin":4219,"position":4},"title":"Review of The Basketball Diaries and Foreced Entries by Christopher Lehmann-Haupt – Jim Carroll Book Reviews – CatholicBoy.com","author":"catholicboy.com","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Home > Research > Book Reviews > Review of The Basketball Diaries and Foreced Entries by Christopher Lehmann-Haupt Books of the Times The Basketball Diaries & Forced Entries Review by Christopher Lehmann-Haupt The New York Times July 9, 1987 Late City Final Edition, C23 JIM CARROLL is a poet and\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10111,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/research\/performance-reviews\/exoterica-word-festival-bronx-ny-2002\/","url_meta":{"origin":4219,"position":5},"title":"Exoterica Word Festival, Bronx, NY (2002)","author":"Cassie Carter","date":"June 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Meeting Jim Carroll at the Word Festival, Bronx, NYBy Chad Kushins27 August 2002 Had a pretty wild experience today. Those tickets for Jill and I to see Jim Carroll read didn't go to complete waste. I took Jeff instead. Now there's boy who knows when to get lost, but more\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4219"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7768,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4219\/revisions\/7768"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/folder?post=4219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}