The Twilight of the Book

Dec 18, 2007 13:09

Encouraged by the NEA report, there is much handwringing at the New Yorker. You know things are dire when there are quotes by Proust, McLuhan, and Ong.

(Me, I'm just flashing back to the lectures of the "Media and Literature" course at UGA. Long live Dr. Menke and his obsession with The Matrix!)

Anyhow, Caleb Crain briefly posits the possibility of the creation of a new "reading class" thanks to the new NEA scores. To which I reply: Seriously? We already have one. Except for the last twentysome years it was called "the professional class." You know, the one with people who have multiple degrees and generally wear suits to work. This class is largely present in DC and barely seen in GA or TX. People unaware of this are the ones who seldom leave cities; it's like a postdoc I know who insists that everyone has an equal opportunity and it's a person's own fault if they don't get somewhere in the world.

Insert more comments here on culture clash, class warfare, and the like. I'm coming down with a cold and am too fuzzy to do it myself.

~~

Oh and I still have some Xmas shopping to do. And Xmas cards to write. Fudge.

books, class warfare, literacy, reading

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