Published in 1982, Different Seasons contains four novellas: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: Hope Springs Eternal, Apt Pupil: Summer of Corruption, The Body: Fall from Innocence, and The Breathing Method: A Winter’s Tale.
Earlier this month, four school districts — Davis, Jordan, Tooele, and Washington — decided to remove the collection from their libraries. That triggered a statewide ban by the Utah state board of education on July 6. The book had previously been available to students in grades seven through 12.
Why Was It Banned?
Under Utah law, a book is removed from all public schools if at least three school districts — or two districts and five charter schools — determine that it contains “objectively sensitive material.”
Utah code defines “objective sensitive material” as instructional content that is “pornographic or indecent” or “harmful to minors,” including content that involves “fondling or other erotic touching.”
As of July 15, the state’s banned book list includes 35 titles, including The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Legal Challenge
The ban comes as the ACLU of Utah filed a lawsuit in January against state officials on behalf of the estate of Kurt Vonnegut and several bestselling authors. The lawsuit argues that the book bans are “unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.”
In a news release, the ACLU accused Utah of “trampling on the protections guaranteed by the First Amendment.”
The Bottom Line
Utah has banned Stephen King’s Different Seasons from public schools after four school districts determined the collection contains “objectively sensitive material.” The ban is part of a broader effort that has removed 35 titles from schools, including The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging the bans as unconstitutional.
