The Literarian Gazette (@tliterarian): "A Gallup poll showed in 1957 that just 39% of Americans had read one book that year, and that only 20% were currently reading a book. In the mid-late fifties Gaddis published The Recognitions, Kerouac published On the Road, Capote did Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Salinger, Updike…"

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A Gallup poll showed in 1957 that just 39% of Americans had read one book that year, and that only 20% were currently reading a book. In the mid-late fifties Gaddis published The Recognitions, Kerouac published On the Road, Capote did Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Salinger, Updike, John Knowles, Cheever, Baldwin and many others published famous novels.

None of this reading paranoia really matters, people today publish and read more books than at any time in history. Take that to the bank!

Junot Díaz

Aug 7

46% of the US population reads ZERO books a year.

Basically half the country is like, Books?

Fuck ‘em.

Numbers like this don’t bother me too much. Because I know, given the immense mind-fracking power of smart phones and the billions of dollars spent keeping us addicted to our screens, it should be a lot worse.

Aug 7

6:05 PM

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