Barren lives without literature

Once upon a time Literature, with the capital L, was "la creme de la creme" of college courses. Young men and women longed to read the great books that addressed the universal spirit, as clothed in the particular narratives and fashions of different ages. The college years were about personal, philosophical and political contemplation of many different subjects, but literature offered the promise of knowledge that was fun to read.

The great books became the touchstone for sophomore angst. Students courted each other with lines from "Romeo and Juliet." They argued over personal morality and the public conventions in novels as different as Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" and Jane Austen's "Emma." "Othello" provoked debates over the nature of evil, manipulation and jealousy.

Before social studies, feminist studies, gay studies and even labor-union studies became trendy subjects for their own sake, exploiting great literature to make political points, the great books planted the seed for contemplating the human condition. But sometime over the last century, the literary tree of knowledge was struck by lightning. Its branches grew distorted limbs that appealed to messages without transcendence. Critical interpretation driven by ideology became more important than understanding with an open mind.

Our political life is barren for it. It's mere conceit now that the U.S. Senate is a repository of eloquence and rhetoric; rare indeed is the senator who can make a speech to keep anyone awake. Even with their stables of speechwriters, presidents only occasionally thrill an audience with after-dinner platitudes. As our kids go off to colleges to seek a better world for us and for themselves, we who also stand and wait (to write the checks) ought to listen to an important intellectual debate running just below the academic radar.

It's a good site, and working your way through a great books reading list is a wonderful thing to do.

What's sad, of course, is that until about 30 years ago, public school students read all of these things. I went to public school in NYC in the 1950's-very early 60's and we read the "classics" all the way through. By the 70's, literature was under attack, and by the 1980's, it was gone from the curriculum.

Part of the problem is that kids today are forced to read books that are only good to the Elitist. Kids are not allowed to pick their own books, not even in a narrow flexability. With the combination of pour book choice and lack of urging by parents causes kids to be turned off by books. This was similar for me. I read a lot when I was young, but as I got older, the teachers picked the books that we had to read and do papers on. It wasn't until a couple of years ago when I picked up H.W. Brands- The First American (a biography about Benjamin Franklin), did my thrist for reading flurish. Benjamin Franklin believed in self-learning and always the seeking of knowledge. Now I read at least one book a week.

Parents need to get on their kids early and stay on them about reading. Create a private library and get a public library card. I have notice that not many people have private libraries these days and if they do it is a select few books on one subject. Or the books are there for coffee table decorations. A broad choice of books in History, Science, Biographies and Fiction are essential in my opinion to expanding the thought process and vocabulary.

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