Staff Picks: Movies
Staff-recommended viewing from the KPL catalog.
Obscene!
The new documentary film Obscene tells the story of maverick book, magazine and film publisher Barney Rosset. Name an author or book in post-war America that was considered dangerous or that was banned and chances are, Rosset was centrally located near the controversy. A committed First Amendment activist, Rosset fought the politics of banning books by aggressively contesting legal and cultural obstacles throughout his time at the helm of Grove Press and Evergreen Review. No doubt a controversial subject, Rosset’s court room victories allowed libraries and book sellers to introduce some of literature's most popular books, many of which today are considered part of the literary canon. Some of the books and authors discussed include Samuel Beckett, Che Guevara’s diaries, William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch, and Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer.
Movie
Obscene
NVG214780D