For once, here's some good news from the National Endowment for the Arts on reading.
The New York Times reports that despite all the whinging about declining readership, the NEA reports in a new study that fiction reading is on the rise among adults. For the first time since 1982, the proportion of adults over 18 who said they read at least one novel, story, poem or play in the previous year has risen. The numbers aren't as high, the Times writes, as they were in 1982 or 1992, but honestly, these days? I'll take any good news about reading that I can get.
Read more here.
It might be a demographic thing. Boomers are aging and reaching retirement and have more time for reading.
Posted by: John austin personal trainers | January 12, 2009 at 05:37 PM
Connie
Re the now cancelled Herman Rosenblat fake memoir about his life titled ANGEL AT THE FENCE, which I helped get cancelled, see here, http://globalwishingwell.blogspot.com, can you blog soon ASAP about my next step in this sad saga? re asking Oprah to invite Herman on her show one last time? see here:
http://ijcm101.blogspot.com
Dear Oprah,
Although you don't know me from a hole in the wall, and though I have
never watched your show in its entirety, since my access to TV over
the last 20 years has been somewhat scattered, I do know who you are
and I respect and admire you for the success you have made of yourself
in American culture and among book lovers nationwide.
So I was happy to learn that once you were informed that Herman
Rosenblat's now-cancelled "memoir" was a bit of a fabrication, your
staff put up a note on your website informing readers of same. Now I
have a special favor to ask you, and of course, since you don't know
me from Adam, you probably will never read this "open letter to Oprah"
and that's okay, that's life for small potatoes like me, who are
nobodies in a world of great big somebodies. However, on the off
chance that you do read this letter, think about what I am asking you
do to, dear Oprah.
I, as a lone, individual blogger living overseas in Asia, I am sking
you, Oprah, to invite Herman Rosenblat on her show one more time to
apologize for his literary fabrication, explain why he did it, ask
forgiveness
I am creating a national write-in campaign with a grassroots effort to
ask you to invite Herman on yiur show in future to apologize, ask
forgiveness, explain why he did and how and ... to move on with his
life quietly and out of the spotlight.
See news of this quest here. Some have called me quixotic. Tilting at
windmills. But as someone who
was deeply involved in getting the book cancelled, I feel I am doing
the right thing here.
http://www.rushprnews.com/2009/01/06/the-forgiveness-chronicles-by-oprah/
I have already been in touch with your producers and there is a good
chance this might happen. I do not want you to attack or berate Herman
on air the way you did with James Frey after his deceptions were
uncovered. In this case, I hope you will allow Herman to answer to the
public, explain himself, apologize and ask forgiveness, from you and
the public, for his literary faux pas.
Oprah, I believe that Herman is a good man, and that he just made a
wrong decision by sticking with his made-up story for so long. Now
that the fabrication has been exposed by the media and his book
cancelled, it is time for you -- maybe -- it is your choice -- to
invite him on your show and let him explain himself to you and to the
public. I think there will be a teaching moment here for everyone, for
you too, for Herman, too, and for the viewing public.
Sincerely,
Danny Bloom
http://ijcm101.blogspot.com
Posted by: danny bloom | January 12, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Not sure why the Oprah letter is posted under this item, but...that's fine.
I like your idea about boomers having more time to read now that they're retired - or is it because more people are getting laid off so they have time to read!? Now that's one good sign of this dreadful economy, I suppose...OK, it's not, but I'm grasping at straws here...
Posted by: Connie Ogle | January 13, 2009 at 07:14 AM