Tennessee school board bans Maus, a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust

The school board in McMinn County, Tennessee, voted 10-0 on Wednesday to bar schools from teaching Maus, a Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History, a graphic novel about the Holocaust written by Art Spiegelman, and ban it from school libraries. Maus won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, the only graphic novel to earn that honor.
Spiegelman spent 13 years putting together Maus, which recalls the experiences of his Auschwitz-survivor father, Vladek, and mother, Anja, depicting Nazis as cats and Jews as mice. "By using talking animals, Spiegelman allows his readers just enough emotional-safety distance to be able to follow a story that takes place during the Holocaust," Jeff Smith, creator of Bone, told The Washington Post in 2016. Acclaimed cartoonist Chris Ware told the Post that Maus continues "to be the greatest graphic novel ever written."
McMinn County school board members objected to the book's use of the phrase "God damn" and "naked pictures" of cartoon mice, The Tennessee Holler reports. One board member also said he "thought the end was stupid" and did not like the son "cussing out the father" and treating "his father like he was the victim." After discussing censoring just the eight objectionable words and cartoon of the naked female mouse the board decided it would be easier to ban it.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
They voted to ban the graphic novel, The Daily Beast notes, "the day before Holocaust Remembrance Day."
Hours after the school board pulled the book, the U.S. Holocaust Museum tweeted that "Maus has played a vital role in educating about the Holocaust through sharing detailed and personal experiences of victims and survivors."
"I'm kind of baffled by this," Spiegelman told CNBC. "It's leaving me with my jaw open, like, 'What?'" He said he suspects the school board's "Orwellian" action was prompted more by discomfort with the Holocaust than the mild curse words and depiction of his mother as a naked mouse. Board members said their objections weren't about the Holocaust.
As public education becomes an ever-hotter political issue, some governors and school boards have begun banning books and curricula that some concerned citizens find objectionable or believe may cause parents or students discomfort.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats
-
Trump ties $20B Argentina bailout to Milei votes
speed read Trump will boost Argentina’s economy — if the country’s right-wing president wins upcoming elections
-
News organizations reject Pentagon restrictions
Speed Read The proposed policy is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s latest move to limit press access at the Pentagon
-
Trump declares end to Gaza war, ‘dawn’ of new Mideast
Speed Read Hamas freed the final 20 living Israeli hostages and Israel released thousands of Palestinian detainees
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents