Reading, Books, and Fearless Librarians

What is the point of reading, if you forget most of what you read?  It's OK to "Forget" Most of What You Read  says that "forgetting is not forgetting."       

I may not be able to recall most of what I read when asked on the spur of the moment, but much of what I read resurfaces when the occasion arises--in a conversation or when reading another book that references information I've read previously.  My subconscious background has been broadened--and maybe my understanding is more complete when an esoteric subject arises.

Even in fiction (especially if a book sends me to research an actual person or event) the information can be relevant in many other instances.  Novels that I can't even remember have led me to explore historical events, to reconsider social problems, to question my previous beliefs, to become more empathetic and understanding of certain situations.

I read a lot, and much of what I read is purely for entertainment. But even bad fiction can provide insight.  When I read nonfiction, I find myself more critically aware of what I read in fiction.  As a result, a novel I've all but forgotten may have influenced my reading in ways beyond conscious awareness, and nonfiction reading can help me appreciate the characters and events in various novels and to judge the accuracy of the history or setting.

I love this article about librarians on horseback.  

"The Pack Horse Library initiative was part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA), created to help lift America out of the Great Depression, during which, by 1933, unemployment had risen to 40 percent in Appalachia. Roving horseback libraries weren’t entirely new to Kentucky, but this initiative was an opportunity to boost both employment and literacy at the same time." (source)

There are more photos and information in the article.  Librarians are, indeed, amazing!  This was not an easy job, but these women could certainly be proud of the work they were doing.

The Uncommon Reader

Bennett, Alan. The Uncommon Reader. A charming and funny novella featuring the Queen of England and books. When the Queen of England becomes a reader there are some amusing consequences that perturb those who prefer life to remain the same.

The Queen's inadvertent discovery of books and her unlikely mentor Norman lead Her Majesty to some "overwhelming question[s]." She recalls meeting various writers and poets (including Mr. Eliot) before becoming a reader and realizes the missed opportunities because she had not read their works and couldn't discuss them with any familiarity.

When she comments on this fact, she is told that she was surely "briefed." The Queen then distinguishes between "briefing" and "reading" with some of my favorite lines:

"Briefing is terse, factual and to the point. Reading is untidy, discursive and perpetually inviting. Briefing closes down a subject, reading opens it up."

Reading this novella was a short, satiric, and delightful experience!

Other Reviews: Nymeth, Dorothy, Kailana, Teabird


Fiction. 2007. 120 pages.

Wrapped Up in Books

Kimy at Mouse Medicine always has beautiful photos and thoughtful posts. Today her topic is books/reading. Check it out.

I borrowed this video of the song "wrapped up in books" from her post:

To Read or Not to Read

You can listen to this short article at All Things Considered on NPR: Reading Study Shows Remarkable Decline in U.S.

And read about it here:

To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence

just one excerpt:

All of the data suggest how powerfully reading transforms the lives of individuals— whatever their social circumstances. Regular reading not only boosts the likelihood of an individual’s academic and economic success—facts that are not especially surprising—but it also seems to awaken a person’s social and civic sense. Reading correlates with almost every measurement of positive personal and social behavior surveyed. It is reassuring, though hardly amazing, that readers attend more concerts and theater than non-readers, but it is surprising that they exercise more and play more sports—no matter what their educational level. These cold statistics confirm something that most readers know but have mostly been reluctant to declare as fact— books change lives for the better.

Whether or not the study is flawed (as some have suggested), it covers such an important aspect of a culture that it deserves attention.

And, Carl, did you realize this? I'm sure you did, and I've just missed it, but it is such a "good thing." More reason for the networks to allow the writers their due and get on with the process because I need more Joss Whedon.

Projects and Overlays

Still reading several books at once. Keep starting new ones, but nothing has seriously grabbed my attention, and I've been so busy lately that there has not been a great deal of time for reading anyway.

I've been making pencil rolls when I have spare time -- instead of reading. The mouse fabric one is for Mila and is made from scraps left over from an apron I made her a couple of years ago.

From the little scraps left cut from the ends of the above project came a little landscape. Most of the little strips are 1/4 to 1 one inch wide, trimmed from squaring the fabric. I cut a wavy edge all around and then satin stitched instead of binding it. The scraps are covered with tulle to keep them in place.


Here is an interesting note relating to reading:

Colored overlay transparencies can improve your child's reading. My sister-in-law told me about this and let me try some of the overlays to see which ones improved my reading ease. I was surprised at the way almost all of the overlays made the words jump off the page, but the light blue and a bright yellow worked best. The overlays are a real aid for children with reading difficulties, but can make reading easier for anyone. I'm going to order some, as my eyes sometimes get tired, and the overlays could relieve some of the eye strain.

I've got a lot to do before getting ready for Amelia's baby shower, so I'd better get to it. Erin and her family are in town, and Mila will attend the shower with us. This should be fun.

Finished and working on...

I've finished The Physics of the Buffyverse---finally! I took a break to read some fiction, and then let the poor book lanquish. But in my "what next" mode, I decided finishing 2 books that I've started (and then neglected) would be a fine accomplishment. So last night I finished The Physics and now I'm working on Camile Paglia's Break, Blow Burn. Yes, Mary, I'm enjoying it very much.

More on "What Next?"

I've enjoyed reading the responses to how you make decisions about what to read next. Most of you are eclectic readers and enjoy a variety of topics and genres, so it isn't surprising that you enjoy switching back and forth, balancing fiction/non-fiction, serious/silly, classics/contemporary and so forth, but reading about the way you approach your next read is fun because each of you is such an individual reader.

Click here to read the comments on "what next?"

a brief summary

iliana, Cheya, Lotus - mood
Dorothy W. - contrast
Jill - time & brainpower
Dark Opheus - whim
Cheya - book cover, title, recommendations
Cheya & Lotus - challenge obligations

The Knowledge Deficit

E. D. Hirsch's new book The Knowledge Deficit seems worth a read.

This article reviews the book. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of the article:

An educational experiment in 1989 pitted a group of students with high reading scores, selected especially for their lack of interest in baseball, against a group of low-scoring students who happened to be avid baseball fans. The two groups were asked to demonstrate their reading comprehension of a passage on baseball. Can you guess which team won?

In The Knowledge Deficit, E. D. Hirsch Jr. recounts this experiment and draws on the work of reading researchers and theorists to argue that “background knowledge,” knowledge not explicitly presented in a text, is essential to reading comprehension.

Sounds like common sense; however, the way we teach reading concentrates on decoding. Hirsch argues that: “We need to see the reading comprehension problem for what it primarily is—a knowledge problem.”

I can't help myself, I'm always intrigued by educational strategies both successful and unsuccessful.

Shakespeare's Language and Caloric Benefits

Book World pointed the way to this article in the Times. "Reading Shakespeare excites the brain in a way that keeps it fit," according to researchers.

"Monitoring participants with brain-imaging equipment, they found that certain lines from Shakespeare and other great writers such as Chaucer and Wordsworth caused the brain to spark with electrical activity because of the unusual words or sentence structure."

I agree, whatever gets those synapses firing is good, for more reasons than preventing dementia. Shakespeare's language excites the brain, imagination, appreciation of beauty, sense of humanity, curiosity, admiration of courage and loyalty, sympathy, empathy, sense of humor, and more.

And Maggie posted an interesting fact: You burn more calories reading than watching television! Isn't that wonderful? If I were still teaching it would be one of the things I posted on the board and left all year. Check out the rest of Maggie's post.