Thursday, August 06, 2009

A few literary (and not so literary) thoughts


One of the joys of camping is lounging around in a beautiful place with a good book. The dh at left is lounging in our little camper, with a view of 14,000-foot peaks, reading a Dorothy Sayers novel. I, taking the picture, was on one of the beds in the little camper, reading The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith. What could be better?

According to NPR, here is a list of its reader's 100 best beach books ever. I am currently finishing up #55, and have read approximately 19 of the others. How about you, Gentle Readers? (Thanks to RG for the idea...)

I have posted articles here before that bemoan the loss of reading in our world. Now, here's one that bemoans the loss of youth culture in cyberspace. interesting that the growing number of adults on social networking sites is driving out the young. That was actually one of my stated goals in joining facebook years ago: to teach my children and their friends and my students that there was no "free" territory on this whole earth, either irl or in cyberspace, where you could say things without consequences. I guess I succeeded! Old foggeys arise!

And in a related note, many are mourning the demise of good penmanship. Apparently, it is another by-gone virtue slain by the computer. And another death: children's books published before 1985. More stupid consequences of legislation in our litigation-happy, overly-preoccupied-by-safety world.

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