Chicago booksellers have reported increased sales of Persepolis following last week’s controversy that saw the Marjane Satrapi 2003 graphic novel about the Iranian Revolution removed from some public schools over concerns of the depiction of torture. Teachers and students joined together to protest the book’s apparent banning, causing not just Chicago Public Schools to clarify its position on Persopolis, but also inspiring readers to buy up most of the city’s remaining stock of the hugely acclaimed graphic novel.
For her part, cartoonist Marjane Satrapi disagrees with CPS’ decision to restrict the book from seventh graders. “I don’t think American kids of seventh grade have not seen any signs of violence,” she told the Tribune. “Seventh graders have brains and they see all kinds of things on cinema and the Internet. It’s a black and white drawing and I’m not showing something extremely horrible. That’s a false argument. ”
The controversy prompted students and teachers to join together and protest the apparent ban, and the resulting media attention seems to have inspired readers to check out the now slightly infamous Persepolis. DNAinfo spoke with numerous Chicago booksellers who report that they can’t keep Satrapi’s book on the shelves. The development took some merchants by surprise because Persepolis has been available for ten years without incident — minus the numerous book prizes and the 2007 animated film adaptation earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
