Sonic Youth Gossip - View Single Post - Literature, Literacy, and the advance of human civilization

SpectralJulianIsNotDead · 01.20.2008, 12:30 PM

Since I graduated high school, I've maybe read 2-4 books.

From age 7 to 18 though, I read novels of my own accord for enjoyment. In first grade when I was 6 I had horrible grades in school. I don't remember 1st grade, but I had straight Ds. In 2nd grade, my grades were better. As, Bs, and Cs. In 3rd grade I was getting straight As and from then on I was usually one of the smartest kids in my class. Kids marvelled at the huge books I would tote around and read for sheer enjoyment. My taste was pretty bad at first, but it got better as I got older.

Anyways, since then I haven't read that much. I made a lot of excuses for not doing so. That I could never find a comfortable position for reading, that I never had time, etc.

And since then I've been a pretty unfunctioning person. I'm more functioning now than I was when I was 19 or 20, I've adjusted to it, but still. I've also developed pretty bad sleep habits.

Then this last week I finally got around to reading Phillip K. Dick's "Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said." Now I'm reading Bukowski's "Ham on Rye." And my sleep habits are starting to get better. I have more energy, and I'm doing more.

The last time I felt like I was starting to pull together was this summer when I was in Europe when I read Alice in Wonderland and Dostoevsky's short story "The Dream of A Ridiculous Man."

It seems that acting as a functioning person and having good reading habits coincide.

Some people seem to disreguard printed word as an archaic media form. We've got video games and television and 3d movies.

But I think there is something about literature that is very nourishing to brain activity and function. You have to imagine sounds and images. It is more work for your brain and also more relaxing.

Printed word is usually credited in accelerating the development of human civilization by increasing the ease of communication. But I think that isn't completely it. I think literature has something that film, television, and radio don't have that is incredibly beneficial to human brain development.

Thoughts?

01.20.2008, 12:30 PM	#1
SpectralJulianIsNotDead invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7,409	Since I graduated high school, I've maybe read 2-4 books. From age 7 to 18 though, I read novels of my own accord for enjoyment. In first grade when I was 6 I had horrible grades in school. I don't remember 1st grade, but I had straight Ds. In 2nd grade, my grades were better. As, Bs, and Cs. In 3rd grade I was getting straight As and from then on I was usually one of the smartest kids in my class. Kids marvelled at the huge books I would tote around and read for sheer enjoyment. My taste was pretty bad at first, but it got better as I got older. Anyways, since then I haven't read that much. I made a lot of excuses for not doing so. That I could never find a comfortable position for reading, that I never had time, etc. And since then I've been a pretty unfunctioning person. I'm more functioning now than I was when I was 19 or 20, I've adjusted to it, but still. I've also developed pretty bad sleep habits. Then this last week I finally got around to reading Phillip K. Dick's "Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said." Now I'm reading Bukowski's "Ham on Rye." And my sleep habits are starting to get better. I have more energy, and I'm doing more. The last time I felt like I was starting to pull together was this summer when I was in Europe when I read Alice in Wonderland and Dostoevsky's short story "The Dream of A Ridiculous Man." It seems that acting as a functioning person and having good reading habits coincide. Some people seem to disreguard printed word as an archaic media form. We've got video games and television and 3d movies. But I think there is something about literature that is very nourishing to brain activity and function. You have to imagine sounds and images. It is more work for your brain and also more relaxing. Printed word is usually credited in accelerating the development of human civilization by increasing the ease of communication. But I think that isn't completely it. I think literature has something that film, television, and radio don't have that is incredibly beneficial to human brain development. Thoughts?
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