I just finished reading an article by Urusula Le Guin in Harpers about the precipitous decline of book reading over the past few years. Le Guin, herself a novelist, is not particularly worried about the decline of book reading. (She notes, for example, that the polls surveying people's reading only accepted "literary" works as valid. … Continue reading The End of Books
Category: literacy
How Shakespeare and His Ilk Are Ruining Kids Today
Mark Bauerlein thinks technology is responsible for making today's youth the "dumbest generation" because social media only gets kids to talk to one another. Although there is some irony (and narcissism) in an grown-up academic arguing in a book to other grown-ups about the blight of kids talking only to one another, I think we … Continue reading How Shakespeare and His Ilk Are Ruining Kids Today
Notes on a Name: Dissoi Topoi
Dear Readers, A note on the title of this blog: Dissoi logoi is an ancient Greek concept traditionally translated as "different words." It is generally understood as the practice of arguing both sides of an issue in order to better understand your opponent's point of view in an argument. Other people, however, have argued that … Continue reading Notes on a Name: Dissoi Topoi
Welcome
Dear Reader, No doubt you've wandered here accidentally, and I am happy to have you stop by, if only for a minute to browse and scurry. Chances are that you're looking for something witty and urbane to fill the void in your life left empty by the discontinuation of "The Jack Benny Show." Given enough … Continue reading Welcome
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