I don’t think this is happening to books, but I’m not ok with how sewing is going. Sewing hasn’t been innovated in years. We should be able to print clothes at home by now. Sewing should be way easier. It’s stuck in the 50s.
Printing clothes? That would be great. Even I could do that. I think. I don't know. I failed every sewing assignment I ever had in Home Ec in 8th grade.
Sewing actually has had a vibrant resurgence in the past 10 years..sewists and quilters form a cohesive and supportive community across the country. Modern sewing machines are digital marvels today, and paper patterns have been replaced by projected software that is downloaded, but sewists and quilters have retained their core commitment to creative thinking, reflection, and shared challenge. Check out their hundreds of web sites and expos!
On a positive note, I have noted that book groups have increased, and now more than before, I hear people discussing shared books and authors at the YMCA and at restaurants. The issue really lies with less reading in the home and little reading for complex information. We let the computer do the thinking and searching for us. Less people attend mainstream churches and synagogues and civic organizations, where the written word is read aloud and shared stories and books referenced often. Modern media has reduced storytelling and books to extreme displays of sound bites, action, gossip, violence and extravaganza- we feel less need to read the actual book. School curricula is so jam-packed that students are no longer required to read numerous books in a year nor are they required to read complete books; Selected short readings/ texts, "study" packets and book sections are assigned instead. It requires a certain amount of individual focus and perseverance to read, and that is no longer easy to carve out in today's busy home and after school life. Publishers have added to this unbalanced craziness, emphasizing and marketing the ridiculous and flashy in order to make money.
Thanks for this very thoughtful and detailed comment, Nancy. I know some quilters and sewers (in fact there are a few in this comment thread!) and am glad for this even though I am not among them. The activity calls for the same kind of focus and appreciation and thought that reading a good books can require. So, I guess if reading books is heading for this kind of niche status, it could be the thing that saves books and reading. The formation of groups that reinforce the creativity and reflection you describe can only help.
Books groups can be important. I'm hoping to revisit the issue of book groups in a future issue. Are you a member of a book group yourself?
Betsy; you packed so much in this issue that it left me reeling. As a retired individual I have the luxury of time (although it's still limited), so I can read if I desire to spend more time with words on a page. I still feel inundated with too many suggestions, too many options. And the obvious answer to why young and old are reading less comes down to the obsession with DEVICES. It's addicting and the soundbites are constant and interfering. But we must keep up with the daily diatribe of political madness (writing to our REPS takes time & effort) and still make time for escape with a good book. I just finished NEXUS (computer history & AI) and it just provided fear. The reality is that future generations will read less & there is not much we can do about that widening population that will be less educated.
Devices and all the things mentioned by Nancy MH in her comment contribute mightily to the problem of fragmented attention and the weakening of concentration. To remain engaged politically is important especially now. For me, it just strengthens the argument to read because 1) novels -- especially ones set hundreds of years ago -- show me all that is not new in the human species and how we've gotten through it, and 2) we need to water and refresh our brains and selves in order to maintain energy to continue.
Interestingly, reading about events and times of decades or centuries past helps me to process what is happening now as well. I've been wanting to write about this. If you've had this or a similar experience in reading while the world falls apart, share away. I'd like to have all our experiences represented here.
I'm all about books and refuse to let them go. I have loved them since I was a very young child and that has never changed. as a long-time teacher of young children, I know that books are incredibly important from an early age, for so many reasons and that should never end.
Love this! Tucson Festival of Books is March 15-16. Over 300 authors and 350 sessions including an amazing program for Children and Teens. We do not provide literacy services per se but this event is a flywheel collecting and then releasing so much energy to support year round initiatives by the library and non-profit literacy programs. Over $2.3 million donated to literacy initiatives since 2009. Www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org
This is great, Abra, thank you! I'm eager to learn more. If you can suggest any of your favorites among the literacy initiatives supported by the Tucson FOB, share them and I will make sure they are highlighted in future newsletters.
Books and sewing are both huge parts of my life. Books first and always, of course. The drop in literacy is shocking, and I agree we need to do everything we can to improve. Thank you for pointing out the many ways to help.
I thought of you and your artistry with the sewing needle, as I wrote that headline, Sandra. I'm guessing books come first because well, without them, the sewing might be a bit harder but also because as talented as you are as a sewist (did I get that term right?) you are equally or more talented as a writer.
I feel as though my own childhood prepared me for the cacophony existing in today's homes. My parents were older, and both had hearing loss. I was an easily distracted student. If I went upstairs to study, it was too cold. If I stayed downstairs to study, my thoughts were drowned out by the loud television in the next room, with Perry Mason, Matlock or whatever they found to watch that night. It wasn't the easiest time. But I loved books, and eventually earned my master's in Library and Information Sciences. I'm very much concerned for the future of books in the lives of students, and I worry over the less in-depth education that's sometimes fostered. However, I don't think this is new.
It's so interesting that you say this. I grew up in a noisy, people-filled, chaotic house and developed the ability to immerse myself in a book in a way that drove my mother crazy at times. She used to tell me a bomb could go off and I'd never know. I would nod and say yes when she asked me to do something but I would have no memory of it until she plucked the book out of my hands and forced me to listen.
You have been a librarian, then? Or are still? It may not be new to worry about whether or not children can read and the way education may be failing them, true. But perhaps each era or time period brings us a bit closer to what some might see as the "end" of book-reading? What do you think?
And I grew up in a too-quiet house, too much left to myself. No blame, my folks did the best they could, and they loved me.
Once a librarian, always a librarian. I have not earned my living as one for a long time. One of the most satisfying things in life is putting the right book, the right info, in the right hands. The satisfaction of good service to others. I work in information in a different way, now, and have for a really long time.
My sentiments exactly, good books make good readers and we have to do what we can to help...my own path is through teaching writers, both in classes and by editing. I keep my prices low, give away at least two content edits a year, and give break$ to writers who struggle to afford my services.
We are here in Moab, Utah for the weekend. And visiting Arches National Park as we always do each year. We rode our e-bikes into town. First stop? The bookstore. I love Wallace Stegner and picked up Beyond The Hundredth Meridian. I was please to see many patrons there.
Books are my love. Authors my rock stars. I feel most at home surrounded by books no matter where I am. We have a motto in our home which is, never say no to a book. So my daughter grew up reading and still does in her 20’s. And guests are given books as gifts. As a matter of fact most of the gifts I give are books, whether you want them or not lol.
That being said, I have read many science articles regarding what social media has done to the young brain. The ability to watch in succession quick clips and such has affected the ability to concentrate. And you do need to concentrate while reading. It’s a sad reality and bothers me a lot.
I also am on a cognitive care committee at our hospitals. One of the best things you can do for your brain as we age is to read novels. This is because you have to remember the characters and the plot. Not true with non-fiction. You can read the studies on this.
My grandmother used to take me to the bookmobile in the 60’s when I was little. She would say to me, everything you ever wanted to know is in books. The fact that Americans and children are being steered away from reading by our new Administration is appalling.
Those studies on fiction and the again brain -- I had links to them and other interesting info but no room or time in this issue. I plan to share in the future. It got my husband to shift gears a couple of weeks ago. He put down his nonfiction and picked up a novel. Now he's re-reading Sherlock Holmes.
When we are lucky enough to have adults in our lives who loved books and encouraged reading like your grandmother it makes all the difference. I see you've carried on that spirit not only with your daughter but with your friends. Nothing make me happier than to receive a book as a gift.
I am very passionate about this subject matter and am so thankful I grew up with a dad who was an avid reader and inspired many of my seven siblings to be avid readers as well…. I have noticed over the years I’ve gotten distracted by this or that (Devices, social media, news coverage) and don’t read as much as I used to but I do still love reading books….and am disciplining myself to spend less time on line and more time reading!…Re: literacy of the children and young adults of this country. That is of much concern. Deeply troubling. I was a volunteer with BookPals prior to the pandemic which my union (SAG-AFTRA Foundation) used to run… and a group of us actors would commit to going into first grade classrooms and read to and with the children. Public schools. It was an extraordinary experience but unfortunately the Foundation ended this valuable program. I’ve been wanting to find another organization I can join to help children find the absolute joy in reading. I’ve reached out to a couple principals of schools near me but thus far… crickets. If you Betsy or any of your readers have suggestions of who to contact for this volunteer position, please let me know. 📚❤️
It really hits home when we realize how the devices and ways of reading impact our own reading behavior and concentration. The impact on younger brains is even greater because they are developing. As I mentioned to Janice above, having adults in our lives like your father who can make books special and important right away can make a huge difference. Having that basis at least makes easier to return to "long-form" reading or "in-depth" reading. That's why I am hoping schools can keep books in the hands of kids.
I loved what you did with BookPals - reading aloud to kids is a great way to build the bond with the written word. I don't know any national organizations but check out local options. Here, for example, the libraries have volunteers who read to kids. There are programs like United Through Reading which, along with the USO, ensures that active members of the military can remain connected with their families by reading aloud to them (or vice versa). You can check out ways to support their work here: https://unitedthroughreading.org/
I am and have always been an avid reader. Reading has opened my eyes to new people, places and experiences. Reading makes the world, knowledge and experiences much larger; not reading keeps all of those things small.
I used to sew and quilt a lot but I have haven't created a sewing project in over a decade.
I love what you say here: reading makes the world larger. Yes, you're right. Books are the way that most of us can travel outside the boundaries of our lives and home. It's huge. I'm curious to know why sewing and quilting have receded from your life. Any chance they will make a comeback?
Sewing and quilting receded when our oldest kiddo moved back in with us and I had to give up my craft room. I didn't have a place in the house to leave my projects out so I ended up giving it up. I have material for projects so I never say never!
I agree with Betsy that because of a combination of the relaxing (to put it mildly) of literacy standards in schools, and decreasing attention spans resulting from the Web and smartphones, books are not as central to the lives of those under, say, 35, as they are to us older folk. On the other hand, book sales in the U.S remain extremely healthy (click here for a chart of the last 20 years: https://www.statista.com/statistics/422595/print-book-sales-usa/ ). And, as has always been the case, efforts to ban books often result in higher sales. For instance, the most challenged book last year — “Gender Queer” by Maia Kolbabe — saw a 130 percent increase in U.S. print sales in a single month, according to a report by NPD BookScan. All of which tells me that a steep decline of book culture in this country is not inevitable. (What am I doing to keep books alive? Reading them to my six-year-old grandson, who loves them. Let's hear it for Charlotte's Web!)
Yes, let's hear it for Charlotte's Web. I still think about that book. And it is a good reminder that book sales remain healthy - which means they aren't declining as much as one might think. That age differential you mentioned, though, that could make a difference in the years ahead and these are the folks who are having kids now or will have them (assuming the world doesn't end and hope continues to flicker).
Hi Elizabeth, I have a question. Are the banned books in the US also banned for buying or just in the public libraries? Is buying them abroad allowed or somehow they have blocked those as well?
Such weird times. Wishing a lot of strength to the people over there in the US.
Just in the public or school libraries. In fact, banning them can help fuel sales of the books themselves or has historically done so. It is more difficult to assess the impact on decisions by publishers to publish certain new books, though. I've found a few pieces that look at this historically and in the current environment which suggest that bans can and do affect publisher sales and decision making but others that look at the issue over time and find evidence of "adaptive" behavior by publishers and readers that may dampen sales or reading of certain boos for a while but will see a resurgence later.
When my local library began to take books off library shelves in response to our state's ever lengthening list of banned books, I put a Little Free Library on a post in my front yard. Half the contents are always banned books. The other half are books that everyone should read. To date, mail carriers, plumbers, electricians, neighbors, dog walkers, random city visitors check it out and walk away with something that might make a difference in someone's view of the current state of affairs. Wonderful conversations happen. New books appear from other contributors. When questioned about returning a book, I ask people to please pass it on to someone/anyone who expresses an interest. You may never know what effect, what spark, a book will kindle. That, and joining in peaceful protests nearby currently keep me going. The big one in my city honored Veterans, the Constitution, and civil rights. Each time, each event, more people show up. My grandchildren think its great - what an opportunity to explain how democracy and government by the people works. Please do not give up hope. Stay safe out there.
I don’t think this is happening to books, but I’m not ok with how sewing is going. Sewing hasn’t been innovated in years. We should be able to print clothes at home by now. Sewing should be way easier. It’s stuck in the 50s.
Printing clothes? That would be great. Even I could do that. I think. I don't know. I failed every sewing assignment I ever had in Home Ec in 8th grade.
Right! Why hasn’t sewing been innovated?! My guess is fast fashion…
Sewing actually has had a vibrant resurgence in the past 10 years..sewists and quilters form a cohesive and supportive community across the country. Modern sewing machines are digital marvels today, and paper patterns have been replaced by projected software that is downloaded, but sewists and quilters have retained their core commitment to creative thinking, reflection, and shared challenge. Check out their hundreds of web sites and expos!
On a positive note, I have noted that book groups have increased, and now more than before, I hear people discussing shared books and authors at the YMCA and at restaurants. The issue really lies with less reading in the home and little reading for complex information. We let the computer do the thinking and searching for us. Less people attend mainstream churches and synagogues and civic organizations, where the written word is read aloud and shared stories and books referenced often. Modern media has reduced storytelling and books to extreme displays of sound bites, action, gossip, violence and extravaganza- we feel less need to read the actual book. School curricula is so jam-packed that students are no longer required to read numerous books in a year nor are they required to read complete books; Selected short readings/ texts, "study" packets and book sections are assigned instead. It requires a certain amount of individual focus and perseverance to read, and that is no longer easy to carve out in today's busy home and after school life. Publishers have added to this unbalanced craziness, emphasizing and marketing the ridiculous and flashy in order to make money.
Thanks for this very thoughtful and detailed comment, Nancy. I know some quilters and sewers (in fact there are a few in this comment thread!) and am glad for this even though I am not among them. The activity calls for the same kind of focus and appreciation and thought that reading a good books can require. So, I guess if reading books is heading for this kind of niche status, it could be the thing that saves books and reading. The formation of groups that reinforce the creativity and reflection you describe can only help.
Books groups can be important. I'm hoping to revisit the issue of book groups in a future issue. Are you a member of a book group yourself?
Yes, I am a member of a book group that has met 10 months/ year on a Friday night since 1985!
Betsy; you packed so much in this issue that it left me reeling. As a retired individual I have the luxury of time (although it's still limited), so I can read if I desire to spend more time with words on a page. I still feel inundated with too many suggestions, too many options. And the obvious answer to why young and old are reading less comes down to the obsession with DEVICES. It's addicting and the soundbites are constant and interfering. But we must keep up with the daily diatribe of political madness (writing to our REPS takes time & effort) and still make time for escape with a good book. I just finished NEXUS (computer history & AI) and it just provided fear. The reality is that future generations will read less & there is not much we can do about that widening population that will be less educated.
Sadly agree. DEVICES.
Devices and all the things mentioned by Nancy MH in her comment contribute mightily to the problem of fragmented attention and the weakening of concentration. To remain engaged politically is important especially now. For me, it just strengthens the argument to read because 1) novels -- especially ones set hundreds of years ago -- show me all that is not new in the human species and how we've gotten through it, and 2) we need to water and refresh our brains and selves in order to maintain energy to continue.
Interestingly, reading about events and times of decades or centuries past helps me to process what is happening now as well. I've been wanting to write about this. If you've had this or a similar experience in reading while the world falls apart, share away. I'd like to have all our experiences represented here.
I'm all about books and refuse to let them go. I have loved them since I was a very young child and that has never changed. as a long-time teacher of young children, I know that books are incredibly important from an early age, for so many reasons and that should never end.
No, it should never end. I hope it doesn't -- i really can't imagine a world without books.
Love this! Tucson Festival of Books is March 15-16. Over 300 authors and 350 sessions including an amazing program for Children and Teens. We do not provide literacy services per se but this event is a flywheel collecting and then releasing so much energy to support year round initiatives by the library and non-profit literacy programs. Over $2.3 million donated to literacy initiatives since 2009. Www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org
This is great, Abra, thank you! I'm eager to learn more. If you can suggest any of your favorites among the literacy initiatives supported by the Tucson FOB, share them and I will make sure they are highlighted in future newsletters.
Books and sewing are both huge parts of my life. Books first and always, of course. The drop in literacy is shocking, and I agree we need to do everything we can to improve. Thank you for pointing out the many ways to help.
I thought of you and your artistry with the sewing needle, as I wrote that headline, Sandra. I'm guessing books come first because well, without them, the sewing might be a bit harder but also because as talented as you are as a sewist (did I get that term right?) you are equally or more talented as a writer.
I feel as though my own childhood prepared me for the cacophony existing in today's homes. My parents were older, and both had hearing loss. I was an easily distracted student. If I went upstairs to study, it was too cold. If I stayed downstairs to study, my thoughts were drowned out by the loud television in the next room, with Perry Mason, Matlock or whatever they found to watch that night. It wasn't the easiest time. But I loved books, and eventually earned my master's in Library and Information Sciences. I'm very much concerned for the future of books in the lives of students, and I worry over the less in-depth education that's sometimes fostered. However, I don't think this is new.
It's so interesting that you say this. I grew up in a noisy, people-filled, chaotic house and developed the ability to immerse myself in a book in a way that drove my mother crazy at times. She used to tell me a bomb could go off and I'd never know. I would nod and say yes when she asked me to do something but I would have no memory of it until she plucked the book out of my hands and forced me to listen.
You have been a librarian, then? Or are still? It may not be new to worry about whether or not children can read and the way education may be failing them, true. But perhaps each era or time period brings us a bit closer to what some might see as the "end" of book-reading? What do you think?
And I grew up in a too-quiet house, too much left to myself. No blame, my folks did the best they could, and they loved me.
Once a librarian, always a librarian. I have not earned my living as one for a long time. One of the most satisfying things in life is putting the right book, the right info, in the right hands. The satisfaction of good service to others. I work in information in a different way, now, and have for a really long time.
Re: end of book reading. I'm distrustful of prophesy, but I hope reading continues, and even experiences a renaissance - a much-needed one, I suspect.
thank you for your carefully curated, always enlightening, Spark to my life!
Oh PJ you are always so positive and encouraging. Thank you.
My sentiments exactly, good books make good readers and we have to do what we can to help...my own path is through teaching writers, both in classes and by editing. I keep my prices low, give away at least two content edits a year, and give break$ to writers who struggle to afford my services.
This is a really valuable way to help - by contributing your skills and helping new books come into the world.
I knew you'd "get it" completely.
We are here in Moab, Utah for the weekend. And visiting Arches National Park as we always do each year. We rode our e-bikes into town. First stop? The bookstore. I love Wallace Stegner and picked up Beyond The Hundredth Meridian. I was please to see many patrons there.
Books are my love. Authors my rock stars. I feel most at home surrounded by books no matter where I am. We have a motto in our home which is, never say no to a book. So my daughter grew up reading and still does in her 20’s. And guests are given books as gifts. As a matter of fact most of the gifts I give are books, whether you want them or not lol.
That being said, I have read many science articles regarding what social media has done to the young brain. The ability to watch in succession quick clips and such has affected the ability to concentrate. And you do need to concentrate while reading. It’s a sad reality and bothers me a lot.
I also am on a cognitive care committee at our hospitals. One of the best things you can do for your brain as we age is to read novels. This is because you have to remember the characters and the plot. Not true with non-fiction. You can read the studies on this.
My grandmother used to take me to the bookmobile in the 60’s when I was little. She would say to me, everything you ever wanted to know is in books. The fact that Americans and children are being steered away from reading by our new Administration is appalling.
Those studies on fiction and the again brain -- I had links to them and other interesting info but no room or time in this issue. I plan to share in the future. It got my husband to shift gears a couple of weeks ago. He put down his nonfiction and picked up a novel. Now he's re-reading Sherlock Holmes.
When we are lucky enough to have adults in our lives who loved books and encouraged reading like your grandmother it makes all the difference. I see you've carried on that spirit not only with your daughter but with your friends. Nothing make me happier than to receive a book as a gift.
I am very passionate about this subject matter and am so thankful I grew up with a dad who was an avid reader and inspired many of my seven siblings to be avid readers as well…. I have noticed over the years I’ve gotten distracted by this or that (Devices, social media, news coverage) and don’t read as much as I used to but I do still love reading books….and am disciplining myself to spend less time on line and more time reading!…Re: literacy of the children and young adults of this country. That is of much concern. Deeply troubling. I was a volunteer with BookPals prior to the pandemic which my union (SAG-AFTRA Foundation) used to run… and a group of us actors would commit to going into first grade classrooms and read to and with the children. Public schools. It was an extraordinary experience but unfortunately the Foundation ended this valuable program. I’ve been wanting to find another organization I can join to help children find the absolute joy in reading. I’ve reached out to a couple principals of schools near me but thus far… crickets. If you Betsy or any of your readers have suggestions of who to contact for this volunteer position, please let me know. 📚❤️
It really hits home when we realize how the devices and ways of reading impact our own reading behavior and concentration. The impact on younger brains is even greater because they are developing. As I mentioned to Janice above, having adults in our lives like your father who can make books special and important right away can make a huge difference. Having that basis at least makes easier to return to "long-form" reading or "in-depth" reading. That's why I am hoping schools can keep books in the hands of kids.
I loved what you did with BookPals - reading aloud to kids is a great way to build the bond with the written word. I don't know any national organizations but check out local options. Here, for example, the libraries have volunteers who read to kids. There are programs like United Through Reading which, along with the USO, ensures that active members of the military can remain connected with their families by reading aloud to them (or vice versa). You can check out ways to support their work here: https://unitedthroughreading.org/
I am and have always been an avid reader. Reading has opened my eyes to new people, places and experiences. Reading makes the world, knowledge and experiences much larger; not reading keeps all of those things small.
I used to sew and quilt a lot but I have haven't created a sewing project in over a decade.
I love what you say here: reading makes the world larger. Yes, you're right. Books are the way that most of us can travel outside the boundaries of our lives and home. It's huge. I'm curious to know why sewing and quilting have receded from your life. Any chance they will make a comeback?
Sewing and quilting receded when our oldest kiddo moved back in with us and I had to give up my craft room. I didn't have a place in the house to leave my projects out so I ended up giving it up. I have material for projects so I never say never!
I agree with Betsy that because of a combination of the relaxing (to put it mildly) of literacy standards in schools, and decreasing attention spans resulting from the Web and smartphones, books are not as central to the lives of those under, say, 35, as they are to us older folk. On the other hand, book sales in the U.S remain extremely healthy (click here for a chart of the last 20 years: https://www.statista.com/statistics/422595/print-book-sales-usa/ ). And, as has always been the case, efforts to ban books often result in higher sales. For instance, the most challenged book last year — “Gender Queer” by Maia Kolbabe — saw a 130 percent increase in U.S. print sales in a single month, according to a report by NPD BookScan. All of which tells me that a steep decline of book culture in this country is not inevitable. (What am I doing to keep books alive? Reading them to my six-year-old grandson, who loves them. Let's hear it for Charlotte's Web!)
Yes, let's hear it for Charlotte's Web. I still think about that book. And it is a good reminder that book sales remain healthy - which means they aren't declining as much as one might think. That age differential you mentioned, though, that could make a difference in the years ahead and these are the folks who are having kids now or will have them (assuming the world doesn't end and hope continues to flicker).
Hi Elizabeth, I have a question. Are the banned books in the US also banned for buying or just in the public libraries? Is buying them abroad allowed or somehow they have blocked those as well?
Such weird times. Wishing a lot of strength to the people over there in the US.
Just in the public or school libraries. In fact, banning them can help fuel sales of the books themselves or has historically done so. It is more difficult to assess the impact on decisions by publishers to publish certain new books, though. I've found a few pieces that look at this historically and in the current environment which suggest that bans can and do affect publisher sales and decision making but others that look at the issue over time and find evidence of "adaptive" behavior by publishers and readers that may dampen sales or reading of certain boos for a while but will see a resurgence later.
When my local library began to take books off library shelves in response to our state's ever lengthening list of banned books, I put a Little Free Library on a post in my front yard. Half the contents are always banned books. The other half are books that everyone should read. To date, mail carriers, plumbers, electricians, neighbors, dog walkers, random city visitors check it out and walk away with something that might make a difference in someone's view of the current state of affairs. Wonderful conversations happen. New books appear from other contributors. When questioned about returning a book, I ask people to please pass it on to someone/anyone who expresses an interest. You may never know what effect, what spark, a book will kindle. That, and joining in peaceful protests nearby currently keep me going. The big one in my city honored Veterans, the Constitution, and civil rights. Each time, each event, more people show up. My grandchildren think its great - what an opportunity to explain how democracy and government by the people works. Please do not give up hope. Stay safe out there.