NONFICTION - Oct. 10, 1993

SEX, SIN AND BLASPHEMYA Guide to America’s Censorship Wars by Marjorie Heins (The New Press: $22.95; 224 pp.) At the heart of Marjorie Heins’ passionate, meticulously researched look at censorship in America is the idea that a “free society is based on the principle that each individual has a right to decide what art or entertainment she wants to receive.” “Sex, Sin and Blasphemy,” launches an extremely convincing attack against, among other things, the anti-pornography movement, the NEA “Obscenity Oath,” warning labels on record albums and the MPAA rating system, which amounts to de facto censorship of movies.

Heins’ section on the NEA is the strongest part of the book. Much of the writing in other chapters feels flat and repetitive, but her arguments for “government funding (of the arts) without strings attached” develops into an incisive and thought-provoking look at today’s culture. Many, many people believe that freedom of expression is fine as long as taxpayer money doesn’t go toward work considered offensive, i.e. performance artist Karen Finley smearing her nude body with chocolate. Heins somehow manages to aggressively communicate her own beliefs about what the First Amendment means without ever seeming preachy or pompous. No mean feat. This is a good book for anyone who’s concerned about their First Amendment rights.