While not as noted as the passing of actor Patrick Swayze (yes, I was a teenage girl and therefore felt a little heart string pull on hearing the news that the Dirty Dancing heartthrob died today), I saw this morning that Jim Carroll, author of The Basketball Diaries, and several collections of poetry had also left this earth.

My condolences to his family and friends.

The New York Times, always one of my favorite publications, has this full obituary for those interested. For the complete obit, click here.

In addition to a career in punk rock and being compared to Bob Dylan, Carroll also managed to author a book that was banned in the state of Georgia in 1995.

This seems to be becoming a trend amongst dead writers. I mean no disrespect but if, God forbid, more writers should leave our company in this year, I can't help but wonder if there will not be more of these entries.

In my short time of blogging, I begin to realize that as much as I read, I have read precious little.

As with my previous post on the passing of children's author Karla Kuskin, I confess to not have read Carroll's seminal book. I do remember when Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the 1995 film adaptation. I was an avid movie fan even then.

Using the ever frustrating but additive Google, I came across the banning of The Basketball Diaries.

The Year is 1998.

The story was posted by Carroll's Web site, Catholic Boy and comes from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution by Milo Ippolito.

Gwinnett County, north of Atlanta, was at the heart of the controversy. Members of the library board voted two to one in June of that year to ban the book. The banning was on the condition that it must be determined to be "harmful to minors," under Georgia state law. 

What's interesting to me from this first story is that the state law at the time exempted libraries from the provision that such materials must be kept of out of little minor hands. The board felt that libraries should follow the same rules as the private sector if the law would have applied to the book. 

(The common sense part of my brain is screaming that if libraries had to follow the same rules as the private book seller, we'd have a lot of shut-up libraries. I mean, the whole premise of a library is that books are "free." I don't think the local Borders is going to start giving away its merchandise.)

The Basketball Diaries story gets odder. A Kentucky teen said the film version inspired him to go on a shooting spree. Then there was talk about the book being linked to the Columbine shootings.

The book contains a number of drug references, sex acts, and prostitution on the author's part.

Seems like a heck of an influence for one book.

In the end, the powers that be decided not to weigh in on the Basketball Diaries and, from what little I can find, the matter died.

I shall have to put this on my list to read before "Banned Books Week," kicks off.

Won't be easy as I already have The Philharmonic Gets Dressed to Master," and a host of projects in the other parts of my life to get done.

But, I try to be fair and to give it a good go. Hard to really discuss a book I haven't read.

Without being too familiar with Mr. Carroll, I find it hard to close this post. From everything I've read, he seems a man of extremes, of many interests at which he excelled. His work seems to attract the sparks that start fires.

With yet another bow to the New York Times, I end with their quote.

"His life was colorful."