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The New York Times recently reported on a study of American reading habits. Done by the National Endowment for the Arts, the study cast a quasi-revealing eye on the fact that more adults since 1982 are reading, and more of us, it seems, have an appetite for novels and works of literature than for plays or drama. To link to the article from the New York Times, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/books/12reading.html?_r=1.
There is much speculation as to why more of us are reading, although the figures remain lower than they were in 1982. Academics posit that anything from changes in healthcare to escapist reading in tough times, may underlie the change. They even suggest that those involved in the study might not include reading online or via kindle, or reading done for work or school as reading.
While there is also a nod to greater use of the library as the economy continues to sour, nowhere does the piece how long people have been reading for recreation, and whether they identify themselves as lifelong readers.
For now, I'm instigating an informal poll amongst Bloggers and their loved ones:
What do you read and how often do you read?
When was the last time you tackled a literary work, play, novel, non-fiction piece, short story, or even the editorial pages of your local papers?
I expect that since the Blogging community is language-driven, we are all highly interested in reading, and would like to have views on this topic. For the curious, I'm currently reading a mystery by Carol Nelson Douglas, a book on theology by Abraham Joshua Heschel and a book by Augusten Burroughs. I am also launching a list of Recommended Blogger Reads.
Until Next Time...
