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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-06-21, Page 1Books dicu4sed in emotional atmosphere at public meeting BY JEFF SEDDON Close to 500 people sat through an emotion charged public meeting in Clinton June 13 to hear arguments for and against the use of three English literature novels in Huron County High Schools. In a public meeting organized by a concerned group opposed to the recent campaign to have the novels banned from county high schols, parents, students, grandmothers and authors debated for almost three hours on the merit of the three novels or the reasons they should be removed from the list of approved high school textbooks. People came from thefour corners of Huron and from areas outside its boundaries. Many came simply to witness the debate but became deeply involved as the audience ran the emotional gamut. Some wept openly. Some shouted. Some pleaded for cool heads to prevail. Some argued and one Alan asked the audience to settle down and listen to their hearts `as he prayed. The meeting was arranged by a group opposed to the removal of the three. novels - The Diviners by Margaret Laurence, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger - and to support their cause imported four noted Canadian authors to defend the books. June Callwood, a non fiction writer, Alice Munro, a fiction writer, Janet Lunn, a children's writer and Steve Osterlund, a poet, composed a panel that keynoted the debate and each was given ten minutes to outline reasons the books should not be removed from approved lists of textbooks. REVIVAL MEETING Munro's comparison of the alleged pornographic material in the novels to material in the Bible sparked an audience reaction that began to resemble a revival meeting. She used several stories from the Bible to make her point that, when taken out of context and highlighted by someone suggesting the book,is pornographic, exerpts from many books, the Bible inclded, could be grouped with the three English texts. Monroe pointed out that if she lifted exerpts from the Bible and was angry about them she could list them, $10 •A Year In Advance $14 To U.S.A. -and Foreign mimeograph them and send them around to people and have them think the book contained nothing but "sexual escapades". She made it clear that she loved and respected the Bible and was not suggesting it was pornographic. "It isn't possible to tell the story of King David's moral development without telling about his adultery," she said, "You couldn't say he and Bethshedba were good friends." She said a serious writer has a responsibility to get as close as possible to the "shifting, complex realities of human experience". She explained that to depict a character in a book the writer has to say what the character would say. The writer has to "have the character talking". She said the exercise is not an attempt to please people or offend them but to allow the reader to become familiar with the character. Steve Osterlund told the audience it was vital to permit writers, artist and musicians to work freely. (He said the artist cannot be asked to write something to please , a group of people because that is an impossible task. He said the writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1978 Single Copy 25c 24 PAGES The big one that didn't get away! Chris Naylor, 13, caught this 1S pound, 40 inch Northern pike in a creek on, his father's farm► near St. Helens, two weeks ago. Usually there are only a few minnows and the odd trout in the creek, which has a depth of about 2 feet. When he caught the fish;it was too big to carry home, so Chris went home to tell his mother, Brenda. "1 couldn't believe it," says his mother, "He came in and said, 'I need a truck to get the fish borne'." 4 Town employes get 3% raise Lucknow Village Council approved a 3 per cent increase in the wages of the town clerk, the town, foreman and the assistant foreman, at the regular council meeting on June 14. The public works employees and the clerk were held to a 3 per cent increase when salaries were negotiated in January: Council agreed at that time to re -negotiate the salaries at the June meeting. Tuts` brings sth'e salary of the clerk -treasurer to $16,847. The town foreman will now be paid $5.75 an hour and the ' assistant foreman will be paid $5.57 an hour. Council agreed at the January meeting to pay the OHIP premiums of the town employees which amounted to the 3 per cent increase received then. S r e t Lucknow summer fun begins with the annual Kin Summerfest this weekend. Kicking off with the bedfaces on Friday night, the entire weekend is planned with activities for kids, teenagers, adults and senior citizens. The midway at Caledonian Park and the soap box derby on Saturday morning are especially for the children. And a card party in the legion, Saturday evening is sure to attract many of the senior citizens. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Break and enter Two men have been charged following tw� o breakins in the village .on June 13. A window was broken at Montgomery Motors to allow entry and $25,• cigarettes and chocolate bars were stolen. At Reavie Farm Equipment the. hinges from a door..were removed to permit entry and $15 was stolen. A. man from the Lucknow area and anotherman from Hamilton have been charged. In an incident at Reavie Farm Equipment on June' 9, a tractor from the lot was taken for a drive and collided broad side with a customer's tractor sitting on the lot. $600 damage was done to the two tractors. Police are still investigating this incident and no charges have been laid. Accident injures area teenager A Lucknow area teenager is in London hospital recovering from a severe concussion following a car accident on Huron County Road 1, 1.6 kilometres north of Nile on Saturday, June 10. Donna Hackett, 18, R. R. 7 Lucknow, was driving a 1974 Toyota when the car entered the west ditch and rolled over. She was taken to Goderich Alexandra and Marine Hospital and transferred to London University Hospital following examination in Goderich. Donna is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Hackett, R. R. 7 Lucknow. Her mother said Monday that. she is progressing favourably and they hope to bring her home by the end of this week.