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I thought I’d do a little news round up today, mostly book related, but with a little bit of ‘what is happening in this country’ thrown in, because there are quite a few things I’ve read lately that keep bouncing around my mind.
Speed reading
In the Times Arts supplement Erica Wagner questioned whether readers attention spans are getting shorter and admits to her own email addiction. Her column this week was in response to the fact that a woman is about to complete her mission to read and review a book a day for a year (you can read all about her progress at ‘Read All Day’). Sounds like a monumental task doesn’t it, especially if you work a traditional nine to five day as well, however Wagner wonders if cutting more distracting elements like email and web browsing out of our lives would actually improve our attention span, as well as giving us more time to read. I was pretty sceptical about the whole read a book every day thing, but then I read that Lauren Baratz (author of many books including YA sensation ‘Crazy, Beautiful’) once read 365 books in a year and regularly reads 200ish books a year! She says she speed reads, but at the same time I am like should I be reading a book a day to become the kind of well developed reader who can then go on to write novels?
Man they are smart
SB had two really great feminist critique articles up last week. First they took on the claim that making sci-fi feature relationships was destroying the very fabric of the genre, then they hit out at bro culture and championed the hero who will hold your purse. They are some very awesome ladies right there and if I nodded my head any harder at what they are saying it would fall off.
NBABBABAAGITSNBM month
Next month is National ‘buy a book by a black author and give it to someone not black’ month in America, which I think is a rocking idea. Find out more at 'Poets and Writers'.
The best and worst of British
This is the week that the BNP will speak on Question Time and I’ve received a petition that asks you to say why you love Britain, or why you hate the BNP in response to this. Like I said I believe in free speech even for objectionable people, but I’m really not comfortable with free speech meaning that objectionable people get a massive public platform, like the BBC, to project their views from. I’m fine with writing in because it doesn’t ask me to state that I don’t think the BNP should be allowed to profess their views on tv, but if it did I’m not sure whether I would or should sign something like that. Would denying the BNP a spot on tv be denying their freedom of speech, or is it perfectly fine to deny them a spot that gains them so much attention because they are still free to speak in other places? What do you guys think?
And what about Jan Moir? How dare she make a connection between civil partnerships and seedy, shady deaths. She is just an awful, awful person and the Daily Mail gives her a major platform to spread her despicable views, so can I call for her to be sacked, or is that persecuting someone because they express themselves freely?
Let me end on a great British point. Jenson Button is the F1 world champion. Apart from his team mate Barrichello, who has worked monumentally hard this season and always seems to end up second string I can’t think of anyone who deserved to win more.
Speed reading
In the Times Arts supplement Erica Wagner questioned whether readers attention spans are getting shorter and admits to her own email addiction. Her column this week was in response to the fact that a woman is about to complete her mission to read and review a book a day for a year (you can read all about her progress at ‘Read All Day’). Sounds like a monumental task doesn’t it, especially if you work a traditional nine to five day as well, however Wagner wonders if cutting more distracting elements like email and web browsing out of our lives would actually improve our attention span, as well as giving us more time to read. I was pretty sceptical about the whole read a book every day thing, but then I read that Lauren Baratz (author of many books including YA sensation ‘Crazy, Beautiful’) once read 365 books in a year and regularly reads 200ish books a year! She says she speed reads, but at the same time I am like should I be reading a book a day to become the kind of well developed reader who can then go on to write novels?
Man they are smart
SB had two really great feminist critique articles up last week. First they took on the claim that making sci-fi feature relationships was destroying the very fabric of the genre, then they hit out at bro culture and championed the hero who will hold your purse. They are some very awesome ladies right there and if I nodded my head any harder at what they are saying it would fall off.
NBABBABAAGITSNBM month
Next month is National ‘buy a book by a black author and give it to someone not black’ month in America, which I think is a rocking idea. Find out more at 'Poets and Writers'.
The best and worst of British
This is the week that the BNP will speak on Question Time and I’ve received a petition that asks you to say why you love Britain, or why you hate the BNP in response to this. Like I said I believe in free speech even for objectionable people, but I’m really not comfortable with free speech meaning that objectionable people get a massive public platform, like the BBC, to project their views from. I’m fine with writing in because it doesn’t ask me to state that I don’t think the BNP should be allowed to profess their views on tv, but if it did I’m not sure whether I would or should sign something like that. Would denying the BNP a spot on tv be denying their freedom of speech, or is it perfectly fine to deny them a spot that gains them so much attention because they are still free to speak in other places? What do you guys think?
And what about Jan Moir? How dare she make a connection between civil partnerships and seedy, shady deaths. She is just an awful, awful person and the Daily Mail gives her a major platform to spread her despicable views, so can I call for her to be sacked, or is that persecuting someone because they express themselves freely?
Let me end on a great British point. Jenson Button is the F1 world champion. Apart from his team mate Barrichello, who has worked monumentally hard this season and always seems to end up second string I can’t think of anyone who deserved to win more.