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May 12, 2017DrFolklore rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
This extremely brief book, 33 pages, is based on a lecture by Lawrence Hill after his The Book of Negroes was burned by protestors in Holland. This book, or perhaps pamphlet, is primarily a primer for those who are not informed on the subjects of censorship and book burning. "Dear Sir" would likely stimulate classroom discussion for high school or ESL, and students might actually complete it. There's nothing here for those informed on the subject of censorship though, except perhaps a brief discussion of different meanings of the word "Negro" to black, white, American, and Canadian people. However, Hill does not explore a central issue in the debate around his own book, entitled "Het Negerboek" in Dutch. How does "Neger" translate into English -- Negro, the other N-word, or something different entirely? For an informed person, "Dear Sir" is hardly worth the half-hour it takes. However, for those new to the topic, it's easy to read and might stimulate further research. (A good way to learn more about censorship is by looking at the annual display set up by your librarians showing books that have been censored -- it seems that if there's a book worth reading, someone wants it removed from schools and libraries.)