Bless Me, Ultima
Artist: Rudolfo Anaya
Year: 2013
Date of Action: December 2013
Region: North America
Location: Driggs, Idaho
Subject: Explicit Sexuality
Medium: Literature
Confronting Bodies: Teton County School District
Description of Artwork: Bless Me, Ultima is an award-winning, best-selling novel by one of the recognized founders of Chicano literature. In addition to being one of 12 American novels recommended for The National Endowment for the Arts “Big Read” initiative, the book appears on the International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement(AP) lists and has appeared on the AP exam four times in the last ten years. The book is frequently taught in high school classrooms as a way to expand students’ worldview and introduce them to an American experience that is perhaps new to some students and immensely relatable to others. It is a coming of age story for a young boy and his mentor, Ultima.
The Incident: Superintendent Monte Woolstenhulme attempted to ban the book due to its profanity and sexual content.
Results of Incident: NCAC wrote a letter to the school district and shortly thereafter the ban was revoked.
