Reading In The Age of Constant Distraction Critical Linking, February 17, 2019

Reading In The Age of Constant Distraction Critical Linking, February 17, 2019 Sponsored by  Flatiron Books.   We know perfectly wellâ€"we remember, even if dimly, the inward state that satisfies more than our itching, clicking fingersâ€"and we know it isn’t here.  Here,  on the internet, is a nowhere space, a shallow time. It is a flat and impenetrable surface. But with a book, we dive in; we are sucked in; we are immersed, body and soul. “We hold in our hands a way to cut against the momentum of the times,” Birkerts assures. “We can resist the skimming tendency and delve; we can restore, if only for a time, the vanishing assumption of coherence. The beauty of the vertical engagement is that it does not have to argue for itself. It is self-contained, a fulfillment.” Like all essays on digital life and reading, its a little stuffy, but on the whole, its a nice treatise on the power of immersive reading.   ____________________ Eighteen people sprawl on the lawn of the Carlton Gardens on a lazy Sunday morning, as the sun filters through elegant poplar trees. But this isnt a picnic with wine and fried chicken. There’s no loud conversation or frisbee throwing. The 17 women and one bloke travelled from across Melbourne purely to read. At the  STFU Reading Society’s monthly Silent Reading Party, you can read what you like. But one thing is strictly enforced: silence. Purposefully following up the first link with this one. I want to start one of these!   ____________________ Tom Gauld on how to deal with owning too many books. #Relatable. Sign up to Today In Books to receive  daily news and miscellany from the world of books. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.