The Daily Dahl -- Sunday Edition
22 September, 2013
Banned Books Week:
Hey all, it's Banned Books Week! This is a great time to appreciate reading and understanding. This week people are encouraged to focus on the freedom of reading. Readers should be able to access all information in order to research new learning. Reading betters the reader as well as the author. Certain realities exist and should not be expelled from literature because they are difficult to grasp or expose violence and misconduct. Yet, books are consistently challenged. Much of this happens behind the scenes; publishers may choose not to pick up books with certain content, book stores may deny to shelf the books, or educators may choose not to discuss these stories with peers and pupils. Banning and challenging books takes place all over the world. This is why Banned Books Week was created and is sponsored by large associations such as
The American Library Association and many more.
To read more about what Banned Books Week is all about, check out the ALA website here.
If you want to get involved, chances are you will be able to find events taking place in your city. In my city of Mt. Pleasant, my university is hosting read-alouds and events to promote Banned Books Week. If you're living in the states, check out events that may be happening in your state here. Get involved! This is the time to encourage and promote literacy in your community and make a big difference.
If you have a favorite book that was once challenged or banned, read it aloud to someone, share it, share why you love it. Here's a list of the top banned or challenged books in 2012. Recognize the titles? Many of these are loved by many readers who want access to this knowledge. Go on, be proud of the books you love. Personally, I can't imagine never having the pleasures of the Harry Potter series or The Catcher in the Rye.
The Daily Dahl -- Sunday Edition
8th September, 2013
Today I'm featuring an article I read some time ago. The story is interesting enough, but the reader reaction to a piece in The Atlantic is what I want to focus on. It goes to prove the importance of knowing your readership, and maintaining proper courtesies in journalism.
Article Title:The Loveliest Short Story You Will Read Today Was Published on Craigslist
Found at The Atlantic (via Flipboard for iPad)
Originally written by Chris Heller
published August 9, 2013
My Summary:
I was drawn to this article to read another serendipitous publishing story - those are my favorite. What I found was thought-provoking uproar from the original author's readers. Chris Heller writes about a stranger's love struggle posted on Craigslist. The short story is the creative outpour of a man's grief over his failed attempts to speak to a woman on a train. The short story "Missed Connection" is quite imaginative and emotional. Heller describes it as, "a sad, lovely story in an unexpected place." Heller goes on to say, "the story needs a good editor, and several more drafts" along with other criticisms of the short story.
Scrolling down the comment section, a heated debate caught my attention. Readers were upset about Heller's criticism of the story, especially since it was evident he made no attempts to contact the original author of the story, but went on to write about his story without the poor, heartbroken author's knowledge. And the fact Heller posted the full story in his article while writing little of his own interpretation or discussion really upset the readers.
So here's what I've learned: readers really do care about an article's sources, and they definitely don't want to read any plagiarized material. I'm impressed. It's wonderful to see readers that care about the ethics of writing and journalism. It's also a bit terrifying for me. I mean, Heller acted within his legal rights didn't he? Yet he upset and possibly lost potential readers of The Atlantic, or at least his own articles. Writing can be a tricky business. I couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for Heller. However, he chooses not to respond to his readers comments and I think that's pathetic. It's okay to admit fault or mistake in one's own writing. Reading this made me think of my own writing. Have I ever been unethical, and what would be the proper response? Am I perpetuating this very issue in my current writing?
I'd be SO happy to hear from my readers concerning this article. What upsets you most about the blogs, articles, news, etc you hear and read today? What do you think of Heller's article - was he wrong to publish the short story, and would it have been different if he hadn't included a full version of the story in his article?
Personally, I agree with the readers. The short story shines amidst the clutter of Craigslist, hence why Chris Heller sought it out. Heller's criticism of it was harsh and he would have been better to spend more time reflecting about the story itself rather than its faults.
Citation:
Heller, Chris. "The Loveliest Short Story You Will Read Today Was Published on Craigslist." The Atlantic. Ed. Bob Cohn. N.p., 9 Aug. 2013. Web. 16 Aug. 2013. <http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/08/the-loveliest-short-story-you-will-read-today-was-published-on-craigslist/278533/>.
The Daily Dahl -- Sunday Edition
1 September, 2013
Today's reading was inspired by my curiosity in children's reading levels and the effectiveness of assigning these levels. I came upon a report of what high school kids are reading nowadays compared to high schoolers 100 years ago. This article has some interesting results.
Article title: Difficulty of US High School Reading in Decline
Found at publishingperspectives.com
Originally written by Dennis Abrams
published June 14, 2013
My Summary:
Renaissance Learning (discover who they are HERE and follow them on Facebook) has done the research to answer the question, "what are kids reading today" and "why do they choose the books they do?" Closing in on my college graduation, I look back at my high school career and wonder how things have changed, what is the next generation bringing to university? Renaissance Learning has actually completed a study and made a report on the differences of reading levels between high schoolers today and those 100 years ago. It appears that kids and teens are choosing to read books intended for younger audiences. That is, the level of difficulty in reading has dropped noticeably. In 1907, Shakespeare was among two of the top three books assigned in high school courses. I remember from my time in high school, reading one Shakespeare play in my required English course, but all other Shakespeare I read were in elective courses.
Comparing the lists of top 3 required books of 1907 and 2012, I don't think the required books of today are without merit. They are quality books and I have no protest of them being required in high school. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Crucible, and Night were all books (and plays) I loved in high school and I'm glad they are still on the required reading lists. There is a lot to learn from these books.
While my interests don't truly lie in education, I think what kids are required to read in school impacts what they choose to read outside of school, and that's where I'm most curious. With the wave of YA popularity, it appears that many high school students choose to read books that are intended for the middle school level. Abram interviews Eric Stickney, the educational research director for Renaissance Learning. Stickney comments that "after the late part of middle school, students generally don't continue to add the level of difficulty in the books they want to read." According to the 2013 report, one of the most read titles in grades 7-12 is The Hunger Games. As a senior in college, I wonder what has intrigued me to read all of these middle grade level books? Because its true, even after high school, many students choose to read lower difficulty books, myself and my peers included. Personally, I don't believe this to be much of a concern to the nation. Don't get me wrong, I think every kid needs to be introduced to higher difficulty reading, but as long as the kids are reading I'm happy about that. Hopefully some new authors will arise to challenge today's youth with more entertaining, yet profound and critical literature.
Lastly, I want to point out that Stickney argues "That just because the books students are being assigned to read are less complex than in prior years, this does not necessarily mean that they cannot read or comprehend books at higher levels, nor can we assume that assigning more complex texts would necessarily lead to improvements in achievement."
This leads me to wonder, does all reading promote academic and personal growth? Or does one become stationary in learning without the increased difficulty of reading? Renaissance Learning has done some great research so far, perhaps they will carry on and extrapolate this data even further. I'd be curious to see the results.
Read the full report HERE
CITATION:
Abrams, Dennis. "Difficulty of US High School Reading in Decline." Publishing Perspectives. Ed. Edward Nawotka. N.p., 14 June 2013. Web. 1 Sept. 2013. <http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/06/difficulty-of-us-high-school-reading-in-decline/>.
