It’s almost been a year since I commented on an article in Harper’s. While there’s no shortage of great writers and articles featured, it’s not very often when I see one of my favorite writers in one of my favorite magazines. Last year, Jonathan Lethem explored the definition of plagiarism in the 21st century, but this time, Ursula K. Le Guin tackles the popularly elitist idea that reading is declining.*
Le Guin establishes that “Books are social vectors.” Along with other “social vectors,” such as television, film, and music, people do talk about what they have gained from this solitary activity. However, she questions if many people read less than they did back then. In addition, there is the modern problem of the book being made into a commodity by publishers. The literary establishment also seems to get off on a moralistic doom and gloom about how people don’t read.
That books are a social vector is evident in Goodreads, a website where people share what they’ve been reading. One can list what they’ve read, what they are currently reading, and what they will/hope to read. I found out about it through Rob and I put my own list up. Then there are book clubs, like Oprah’s which Jonathan Franzen made some comments about. Books in the hands of students still makes them a social vector even if they are a captive audience. People do discuss the books they’re reading, even if other media compete for their attention.
I don’t doubt that as long as we can kill some trees, we’ll still have the codex. Use them, read them, and love them. Oh, and don’t forget to thank the trees that were felled so you can hold a book in your hands.
*In order to access the full texts of Lethem and Le Guin from the Harper’s website, you need to have a subscriber account and login. “Staying Awake” by Ursula K. Le Guin is available in the print edition of February’s issue.
