"The burning of an author's books, imprisonment for opinion's sake, has always been the tribute that an ignorant age pays to the genius of its time"

This quote by Joseph Lewis talks to the idea that when an author's work is seen as a threat to the status quo, it is typically consulted with censorship and suppression. This is a tribute, albeit an oblivious one, to the genius of the author and their work. It recommends that when an author's work is viewed as revolutionary or challenging, it is typically met with fear and hostility from those in power. This quote speaks with the concept that censorship and suppression of concepts signifies an oblivious age, as it signifies fear and an absence of understanding of the power of ideas. It is a reminder that the genius of an author ought to be commemorated, not suppressed.