Why Read?

I just read Harold Bloom's criticism of Harry Potter. While I don't think he makes his point very effectively, he basically says that reading poor quality literature is no better than not reading, and that Harry Potter is poorly written. He doesn't really explain what he thinks is so awful about the books except that Rowling uses lots of cliches. So I guess his criteria for good literature is that the author must have originality and artistry in his or her use of language. I can see that, I guess, but I take a more pragmatic view. Language is a tool meant to communicate meaning. If a book speaks to me, I don't care whether the language is original or not, what matters is that it moves me. The author has made a point, artistic or not. Of course, I also don't make my living judging writing the way Bloom does. I feel no need to categorize what I read as good or bad, valuable or not. I try to take each book for what it is and get as much value and enjoyment out of it as possible, not get too critical. Because of this, I have trouble explaining what I like about Harry Potter or defending it against someone like Bloom, but I read a lot and know she is a good storyteller and has written an enjoyable tale. That is good enough for me.

As I said, language is about communication. A good writer is one who can effectively communicate his or her message so that the focus is on the content, emotions, connection, and meaning. Good writing is that which is not noticed for it's language, but that disappears and stays out of the way so the focus is on the thoughts conveyed. I don't know if this blog is a good demonstration of my capabilities, but I've been told many times I'm a good writer. How did I become an effective writer? Not by carefully picking apart lots of literature--although I have done that as an English major, I haven't made a habit of doing so outside of school--but by reading a lot. Not necessarily reading a lot of the best literature, but by reading lots of Harry Potter and other things that appeal to me. Usually science fiction and fantasy. So as a teacher and librarian, that's what I advocate: read a lot. It doesn't matter what you read, so long as you read. Your vocabulary will grow, your grammar will improve, and you will become a more effective writer. It doesn't hurt if you think about the writing some of the time and intentionally try to learn from it, but it will happen to an extent unconsciously as well. That's why I love books like Harry Potter and Captain Underpants. They make reading fun. They motivate people to read more. Reading the classics may improve your higher culture, but reading lots will make you a better communicator and that's what's essential.

I don't have anything in front of me and am too lazy to search it out for a blog post, but I've come across plenty of data which proves the better a reader and writer you are the better you will do in school and the more likely you are to be successful in life. Emotional intelligence--your ability to interact with people effectively--is most important, but reading ability is not far behind. So while I have my doubts about our mission as a public library and sometimes question the fact that our main purpose seems to be providing entertainment for the community instead of hardcore information and classic literature, I can't ultimately fault what we are doing. I'd be willing to bet that kids who are regular library users in any form end up more successful on the whole than those who aren't. Bloom doesn't know what he's talking about.