I want to thank Ken Wingate for prompting me to re-read a great book, "Truth and Beauty" by Ann Patchett. Mr. Wingate was the guy who set off a firestorm of controversy recently by trying to persuade/force Clemson University to remove "Truth and Beauty" from the mandatory freshman reading list. It seems Mr. Wingate was offended by Ms. Patchett's frank depictions of drug use and sex in the book about her close friendship with the late author Lucy Grealy. Wingate's protest went nowhere when the Clemson faculty stood by the book but they did agree to allow freshmen who objected to reading the book to write an essay detailing their objections.

I became an Ann Patchett fan after reading her novel "Bel Canto." "Truth and Beauty" is an exceptional book in its frank and painfully honest retelling of the authors struggle to become a successful writer and her efforts to love and nurture her troubled friend Lucy. Rather than glamorize drug use and casual sex, Patchett shows the painful and destructive effects these activities had on her friend and the long term toll they took on her life. Grealy dies of a drug overdose at the end of the book and the pain Patchett felt at her inability to save her friend's life despite her unconditional love is heartfelt. The book is beautifully written and contains life lessons for readers of all ages but has special significance to college age adults struggling to find their way in the world.

The whole controversy over "Truth and Beauty" reminds me of a conversation I had with a former co-worker. This woman whom I'll call Louise was upset that her daughter had been assigned the autobiographical book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. Louise was upset about passages in the book that detailed sexual abuse and as a result included the words penis and vagina. I asked Louise if she had ever read the book and she said no. When I asked her how she could form a negative opinion about a book she had never read she said she couldn't be bothered to read 'filth.' I'm not sure how she reached this conclusion other than by word of mouth. I tried to explain to Louise that the book was a true story about Maya Angelou's child-hood sexual abuse, which caused her to be mute for a long period of time. I hoped that by explaining how pivotal this event was in Angelou's life she could understand the relevance to her story. Unfortunately she looked at me as if I were the devil incarnate.

Books have always been magical and life changing to me. I read Alex Hailey's biography of Malcolm X when I was 12 years old and it opened this farm girls eyes to racism in America. "Native Son" by Richard Wright had a similar effect on a white girl growing up in rural Michigan who attended all white schools. Germaine Greer's "Female Eunich" turned me on to feminism and Betty Freidan's "Feminine Mystique" reinforced my belief that sexual equality was an ideal worth working toward.

The idea that books are dangerous and should be banned or censored is an alien concept for me. I grew up with a mother and father who encouraged me to read anything I wanted and if I didn't understand concepts or words they were more than happy to explain them to me as best they could. In my world knowledge is power and books created a thirst for more knowledge and understanding of life and the world around me than would have been possible in the rural area of the Midwest where I spent my formative years. I don't think any book is powerful enough to alter your core beliefs or prompt you to do anything that would go against your morals. Rather I think books are a way of learning life lessons without having to actually experience them yourself. Books can entertain and amuse but they can also enlighten and expand your mind and your mind set. The thought of censoring books or attempting to shelter children or young adults from the painful realities of life goes against everything I believe in and what America stands for. Thanks, Ken Wingate for reinforcing this belief and thanks to Ann Patchett for opening up her life and sharing her lessons with all of us grateful readers.