The Big Read
That’s the name for a new NEA initiative “designed to revitalize the role of literature in American popular culture and bring the transformative power of literature into the lives of its citizens.” As I understand, the idea is to promote literacy by turning whole communities into enormous reading groups. If you live in one of the target communities, expect your water cooler talk to be focused on one of the first four books: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, or Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.
Zyzzyva ZYZZYVA editor Howard Junker expands on the notion in his blog, reporting on a program to be called “Better Read Than Red.” In this satirical vision, “every American’s reading will be arranged by the NEA. The required reading will be age-appropriate, although those over 40 will not be required to re-read some text they were assigned in Media Studies 101. Those under 20, however, who may never have read a book, will have to enter chat rooms to discuss such aspects of transformative literature as style, tone, and theme. It is still unclear whether reading “printed” material will count (or even be allowed). Because print is notorious for being convenient, eye-friendly, and imagination-stimulating, it is difficult to track and therefore considered by some as no longer appropriate….”
More at ZYZZYVASPEAKS.
Posted: November 29th, 2006 under literature, politics.
Comments: 2
Comments
Comment from gary d
Time: December 18, 2006, 1:16 pm
Does Howard Junker think that people who actually read books (and by books I exclude all self-help pamphlets masquerading as books, all titles containing the words “left” and “behind” in close proximity, and anything with a greasy illustration of Favio on the cover) care not a wit for the benighted souls whose eyeballs are constantly glued to screens–including computer screens? Not at all. As one of the communities receiving a Big Read grant, I plan to work, finagle, exaggerate, cajole and bribe people in our fair city and its environs to read, really read, _The Great Gatsby_. Somehow this will make our Crossroads of America a more interesting place. It may even lead to aliterates reading more than the one book the NEA grants promote.
Comment from xensen
Time: December 19, 2006, 1:22 am
Thanks for your comment, Gary. I wish you the best of luck in promoting the reading of The Great Gatsby. If you get a chance, please stop back after a time and let us know how it went.
Cheers!
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