As a follow-up to an 2004 NEA survey, a study, titled “To Read or Not to Read” will be released today. The previous survey found that the number of adult Americans who read at least one book a year was decreasing. According to the study, more than 72% of high school graduates are deemed literary deficient. Additional survey findings include:
• In 2002, only 52 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24, the college years, read a book voluntarily, down from 59 percent in 1992.
• Money spent on books, adjusted for inflation, dropped 14 percent from 1985 to 2005 and has fallen dramatically since the mid-1990s.
• The number of adults with bachelor’s degrees and “proficient in reading prose” dropped from 40 percent in 1992 to 31 percent in 2003.
“This should explode the notion that reading is somehow a passive activity,” Gioia said. “Reading creates people who are more active by any measure. … People who don’t read, who spend more of their time watching TV or on the Internet, playing video games, seem to be significantly more passive.”
Gioia called the decline in reading “perhaps the most important socio-economic issue in the United States,” and called for changes “in the way we’re educating kids, especially in high school and college. We need to reconnect reading with pleasure and enlightenment.”
“‘To Read or Not to Read’ suggests we are losing the majority of the new generation,” Gioia said. “The majority of young Americans will not realize their individual, economic or social potential.”
Original Article.
November 19th, 2007
posted in Writing News
Amazon recently unveiled it’s new “Wireless Reading Device,” the Amazon Kindle. The product is wireless and allows you to access Amazon’s ebook store wirelessly. It also allows you to purchase books from there store, which holds more than 88,000. Unfortunately, the product can only hold about 200 titles.
Firstly, the reason I don’t think this product will be successfully - or any similar future product, for that matter - is because of the nature of it. I just don’t see typical readers buying a product to read their books on. There is something unique about reading a book, holding it and turning the pages. Carring a screen around won’t change that. Secondly, it’s monstrously overpriced. The asking price for this product is $400. I can’t see anyone other than the rich or the foolish purchasing this product.
The second issue I have with this product is simply the look. The design is horrible; it looks like a low-end product from the 90s. The awkward keypad and bulky, uncreative design put a damper on a good concept. I’m sure amazon will keep trying, but for now I think this product is anything but revolutionary (as Amazon claims it is). 
November 19th, 2007
posted in Writing News
As many of you know, many of the television writers have been striking for the past week or two. Immediately following the strike, late night television started airing reruns, soon followed by soap operas. Soon primetime TV - and your favorite show - might follow. Most television shows have about three episodes left that have already been filmed; after those three you might be stuck watching reruns indefinitely. Let’s assume that the majority of primetime television will stop airing new episodes halfway through January. until then, the strike will have little effect; however, after that it could be disastrous.
All the major networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, CW and Fox are all suspected to be planning several new reality TV shows to supplement the shows that are under the WGA contract. Because reality TV shows aren’t under the contract, if the strike doesn’t end soon, it’s likely we’ll see a surge in reality TV shows in the near future. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for some shows; for example, ABC’s Lost and Fox’s 24 each have several unaired episodes that weren’t intended to start until January or February anyway. For shows such as these, it’s likely they’ll see an increase in ratings if the strike persists.
The Writer’s Guild of America are striking because they want to have a portion of DVD and online revenue. Currently they do not receive royalties from these mediums. Typically, this wouldn’t be such a huge issue, except it’s very possible that the Actor’s and Director’s Guilds might also strike next summer if the Writer’s Guild is successfully in getting a portion of these new revenue streams.
November 17th, 2007
posted in Writing News
“Six hundred dudes. One porn queen. A world record for the ages. A must-have movie for every discerning collector of things erotic.”
“Didn’t one of us on purpose set out to make a snuff movie.”
Cassie Wright, porn priestess, intends to cap her legendary career by breaking the world record for serial fornication. On camera. With six hundred men. SNUFF unfolds from the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, and Mr. 600, who await their turn on camera in a very crowded green room. This wild, lethally funny, and thoroughly researched novel brings the huge yet underacknowledged presence of pornography in contemporary life into the realm of literary fiction at last. Who else but Chuck Palahniuk would dare do such a thing? Who else could do it so well, so unflinchingly, and with such an incendiary (you might say) climax? - Random House.
Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. Chuck Palahniuk has been hailed as an author who’s not afraid to write about the vile, the graphic, or the offensive. I applaud him for that; however, I’m a bit skeptical about how good such a piece of writing would actually be. I suppose I’ll have to find out. Basically in this book 100 guys have sex with a porn star - and we get to read from the perspective of three of these men.
This book is set for a May 20th release date.
You can view more information and preorder the book on the Product Page
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November 17th, 2007
posted in Writing News
