Thursday, August 23, 2007

And They Didn't Read This, Either


Well, we know one person who clearly falls in the 25% category cited in the survey, One in four read no books last year:

One in four adults read no books at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday. Of those who did read, women and older people were most avid, and religious works and popular fiction were the top choices.

* * * *

Who are the 27 percent of people the AP-Ipsos poll found hadn't read a single book this year? Nearly a third of men and a quarter of women fit that category. They tend to be older, less educated, lower income, minorities, from rural areas and less religious.

At the same time, book enthusiasts abound. Many in the survey reported reading dozens of books and said they couldn't do without them.

* * * *

Among those who said they had read books, the median figure — with half reading more, half fewer — was nine books for women and five for men. The figures also indicated that those with college degrees read the most, and people aged 50 and up read more than those who are younger.

* * * *

People from the West and Midwest are more likely to have read at least one book in the past year. Southerners who do read, however, tend to read more books, mostly religious books and romance novels, than people from other regions. Whites read more than blacks and Hispanics, and those who said they never attend religious services read nearly twice as many as those who attend frequently.

There was even some political variety evident, with Democrats and liberals typically reading slightly more books than Republicans and conservatives.

The Bible and religious works were read by two-thirds in the survey, more than all other categories. Popular fiction, histories, biographies and mysteries were all cited by about half, while one in five read romance novels. Every other genre — including politics, poetry and classical literature — were named by fewer than five percent of readers.

* * * *

Those likeliest to read religious books included older and married women, lower earners, minorities, lesser educated people, Southerners, rural residents, Republicans and conservatives.

I hate to admit it, but I was also in that 25% for the past few years myself, a fact that most people who know me would never believe.

I was an English Major in College and have always been a voracious reader. In fact, one of my first jobs was in a Library, which I was sure would be my chosen profession -- while I wrote novels in my spare time. My brothers like to joke that I would intentionally get punished & sent to my room (to avoid having to participate in whatever family activity I wasn't interested in) just so I could read. At night, when we got the "lights out," I read with a flashlight under the covers.

I read at least two books a week, even through my daughter's infancy and childhood years, when I was also working lots of hours at work. I read 3-4 papers a day to keep up with the news. Somehow, I managed to fit it in. Reading was my life. My reading habits (other than keeping up with the news) were definitely towards fiction. For some unknown reason, I have an affinity for Southern literature, see Styron: A Life. I must also admit that I didn't keep up with the Classics as much in my adult years. And, despite being a literary snob in my youth, I could enjoy some good trashy novels now & then. Mysteries -- love them -- they were dessert.

Somewhere in the run up to the Iraq War, I spent more time reading the news and somehow I stopped having time to read books. I still read alot, just not books. The only books I read were those my daughter was reading at school, so I could talk to her about the book when she had to write a book report.

Luckily, I've started to read again, and I even joined a book group, which is something new for me. I did read book reviews, but I didn't spend much time discussing books with other people. Reading was always solitary for me, part of my quiet time for myself.

I just finished The Good Life, by Jay McInerney, for our Friday night book group meeting. An interesting book -- and an appropriate choice in the days prior to September 11.

As an aside (and isn't this whole post that), one of my favorite Southern writers, Harper Lee, had some interesting words to say, as noted in Harper Lee Speaks at Ala. Ceremony:

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Harper Lee is a woman of few words and generally avoids media interviews and public appearances.

But the author of "To Kill a Mockingbird" broke her silence briefly Monday at a ceremony inducting four new members . . . into the Alabama Academy of Honor. . . .

At the end of the ceremony, Academy of Honor chairman Tom Carruthers joked with Lee, saying he knew she had something she wanted to say to the crowd.

"Well it's better to be silent than to be a fool," Lee said.

I can think of at least one person who can benefit from that thought.

For more on Lee, including her relationship with Truman Capote, see this post at Phawker.

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