Margaret Atwood is again taking aim at Alberta’s controversial book ban with a new, satirical short story, per cbc.ca. The move comes after the Canadian literary icon’s acclaimed novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, was pulled from some school library shelves due to the province’s new rules targeting books with “explicit sexual content.”
In a social media post, Atwood said since her classic is “no longer suitable” for Alberta’s schools, she has penned a short story for 17-year-olds about two “very, very good children.” The tale, shared online, follows John and Mary, who are “perfect” and “never picked their noses or had bowel movements or zits.” They marry and have five children “without ever having sex,” and live a life of “selfish rapacious capitalism.”
The story culminates with a sharp political jab: “while they were doing that The Handmaid’s Tale came true and [Premier] Danielle Smith found herself with a nice new blue dress but no job.”
This is the second time Atwood has publicly criticised the ban, having previously encouraged people to “get copies” of her book before “public book burnings.”
The Edmonton Public School Board, one of Alberta’s largest, recently announced it would remove more than 200 books to comply with the provincial directive. The list includes classics such as George Orwell’s 1984, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Premier Smith has since labelled the board’s actions as “vicious compliance,” suggesting they went “over the top” in their interpretation of the ban.
•Featured image: Margaret Atwood/Evan Mitsui/CBC
