Steve Martin Proud His Book Is Banned In Florida
Steve Martin’s novella Shopgirl was recently banned from libraries in Collier County, Florida. As expected, the comedian and actor had a witty comment at the ready regarding the ban of his book, taking to Instagram to say, “So proud to have my book ‘Shopgirl’ banned in Collier County, Florida,” and “Now people who want to read it will have to buy a copy!” As Martin suggests, this ban will likely only drum up interest in his book and possibly lead to more sales, rather than actually deter people from reading it.
Shopgirl Is Banned In Florida
Shopgirl was published by Steven Martin in 2000 and was later adapted into a film, but it has now found itself on a list of over 300 titles banned in the Collier County’s public school libraries. Pen America, an organization that advocates for free expression, published a full list of the banned books. The book bans come as a consequence of legislation signed by Republican Florida Governor Ron Desantis, which states that school libraries have to actively solicit input from the community regarding materials that are available to students.
Steve Martin Joins Stephen King And More Who Have Had Their Books Banned
Steve Martin’s Shopgirl joins a prestigious list of classic novels such as Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, multiple Stephen King novels, multiple Anne Rice novels, and various others in the banned book club.
While Martin took a more jokey approach to his response about his own book being banned, many prominent and respected authors and writers across the United States have actively voiced their opposition to the book bans. Judy Blume, James Patterson, and Amanda Gorman are just a few of the names that have been outspoken about their opinions on the book bans.
Book Banning Is A Hot Issue
Book banning has been a contentious issue that has sparked debates about censorship and free speech. Most argue that book bans hinder intellectual freedom and limit the rights of students to be exposed to diverse perspectives and classic literary works. As Steve Martin jokingly points out, attempts to limit access will likely only increase sales of the banned books, as people are sure to be much more interested in a book that supposedly “needs” to be censored.
Banned Books Tend To Receive A Boost In Sales
For Steve Martin, it wouldn’t be surprising if he sees a book that he released over 20 years ago suddenly see a boost in sales. In fact, books that have made the news for being banned have found themselves back on the best-seller list precisely for this reason. It makes sense that Martin would be celebrating his book being pulled in Florida libraries, as he’ll just be laughing straight to the bank.
Steve Martin Stars In Only Murders In The Building
Meanwhile, Steve Martin has plenty more to celebrate elsewhere. His Hulu series Only Murders in the Building continues to be a massive success. Martin both stars in and executive produces the series, which is up for the Outstanding Comedy Series at the 2023 Emmys.
You can stream all of Only Murders in the Building on Hulu. You can also find Steve Martin’s recently banned book Shopgirl at various online booksellers. Stay tuned for more news about Martin and his upcoming projects.
