Jonathan Plummer’s Book Banned

Well, sort of

by j. brotherlove

It looks like Jonathan Plummer (more popularly know as Terry McMillan’s ex) has hit a minor snag in his quest to push "Balancing Act", his debut novel (with co-author Karen Hunter).

At least one store, Marcus Books in Oakland, CA, is refusing to carry the book for "personal" reasons.

Joseph Hawkins, host of the online gay talk show Real Talk, is not surprised:

"However, I am disappointed. I called Marcus Books and asked if they were selling the book. The woman who answered the phone said that they were not selling the book now and wouldn’t be in the future. When I asked the woman why, she stated that it is the bookstores personal preference not to sell the book. I just believe that the practice of not selling a book just because you don’t like the author is a disturbing form of censorship."

I’m not sure I’m as disturbed by this "form of censorship" as Hawkins but I’m certainly not a fan of banning books of any kind. I don’t see the refusal of one local bookstore to carry the novel a crisis. It’s their store, their inventory. Although, if they’re so frivolous about how they stock their store consumers should act accordingly.

I’m more concerned when Wal-Mart refuses to carry a title because authors and publishers sometimes adjust their content to be placed in that retailer. And of course when books are purged from public or prison libraries, it’s totally unacceptable.

Naturally, Plummer’s camp sees "homophobia" as the censorship culprit. But Marcus Books carries other gay-themed titles. What makes Plummer so special?

I’d put my money of McMillan who has been protesting Plummer’s endeavors since their split with the fervor only seen with the Goldman family and OJ. One would think she’d spend more time penning another novel considering her last one was overshadowed by talk show shenaginagns and lawsuits. At the end of the day, her outcries and this "ban" only creates more interest in Plummer’s book.

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