Steve Martin is 'so proud' of his novella “Shopgirl” being banned from school libraries in Florida
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"Now people who want to read it will have to buy a copy," Martin wrote.
Some authors celebrate when their books become bestsellers, but Steve Martin is "proud" to see his novel on a different list.
In a cheerful social media post, the Only Murders in the Building star mocked the decision of one Florida school district to ban over 300 books, including his 2000 novella, Shopgirl.
"So proud to have my book Shopgirl banned in Collier County, Florida," Martin wrote on Instagram. "Now people who want to read it will have to buy a copy!"
The book, which was adapted into a 2005 movie starring Martin and Claire Danes, tells the story of a depressed woman working in a luxury department store who begins an affair with a wealthy businessman. Along with hundreds of titles, the novella was removed from libraries in the Collier County public school district in response to a Florida state law, HB 1069, making it easier to challenge any school library titles that "depicts or describes sexual conduct."
The move comes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation last year requiring school libraries to seek community input on the materials they make available to students. PEN America this week published a long list of titles impacted by the law, including a range of literary classics, popular YA fiction, and titles that center queer and POC voices. Authors with banned books include Toni Morrison, Stephen Chbosky, Neil Gaiman, John Green, Angie Thomas, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, and Judy Blume.
Earlier this year, Blume, who authored the cherished but controversial Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, challenged the practice of banning and censoring children's books, while promoting her work with the National Coalition Against Censorship.
"What are you protecting your children from?" Blume asked. "Protecting your children means educating them and arming them with knowledge, and reading and supporting what they want to read."
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