Libraries

It is interesting to me that Reading Room is somehow causing controversy. Apparently, it is being thought of as anti-library by some people. I am not sure how this conclusion was drawn. In my project description, I wrote:

"Part of Walker Art Center's Open Field Field Office Fellowship program, Reading Room is an experiment in intention. Finding myself unable or unwilling to make time for personal, nonwork pleasure book reading, I realized that I would, probably, actually pay to go somewhere, preferably a quiet place with comfortable chairs, proper lighting, and no electronics, and read. In our busy lives, will book lovers actually make time, intentionally, to go to a designated place solely to read a book, for an extended period of time, unplugged? Does reading (a solitary act) somehow become more attractive, more meaningful when surrounded by others (a crowd) who also have taken time to intentionally read? By putting a frame around the act of reading, will participants somehow gain a new appreciation for their time, and take Reading Room on the road?"

Perhaps the sentence: "I realized that I would, probably, actually pay to go somewhere, preferably a quiet place with comfortable chairs, proper lighting, and no electronics, and read" caused the misunderstanding? (First of all, why would you care if chose to pay for this?) But surely, if you were on the Open Field blog anyway, you would understand that this was a free event. Or, if you were to look into who was putting this event on, on the internets, you would easily be able to see that 1) I am a book publisher and 2) I serve on the board of the Library Foundation of Hennepin County.

Let's assume you didn't have that information. I am still unclear on how Reading Room could be considered anti-library. If you one wants to go read in a library, please, by all means, go read in a library. It's not an either / or proposition.

At its most basic, Reading Room draws attention to reading. Period. I consider that a good thing. It asks anyone who hears about it to think about reading and the role it plays in their life. If you don't read, then you don't need to think about it. If you do read, and, if you are like some people, you wish you had more time to read, just knowing about Reading Room might prompt you to read (at your house, at the library, on the bus, in a bar, in a park, or at Reading Room). You might decide, "hey, reading is important to me, I think I will make it a priority in my life."

Or not. I've said multiple times that if you don't want to read, then don't. This isn't about trying to get more people to read. That's not a battle I wish to fight. But the fact is, there are lots of people who do find reading worthwhile. Reading Room is for them.

This is not a perfect analogy, but it's close: There are grocery stores. Most meals are eaten by people prepared from the groceries they buy. There are restaurants. There are many restaurants. The existence of a restaurant does not supplant the existence of a grocery store. It in no way threatens it.

Did Reading Room get you to think about reading yet? Did Reading Room get you to think about libraries yet? Did Reading Room get you to think about the place reading has in your life? Yes? o.k. No? o.k.

It's true that libraries, like many public services, are facing increasing budget cuts. And they are facing increasing budget cuts in a time when library use is through the roof. Libraries are a vital part of a democracy, and an informed citizenry. I love them. I love reading in them. I love them love them love them.

In fact, I would invite you to join me in supporting libraries by making a donation to the Library Foundation of Hennepin County, which "enriches the resources and enhances the potential of the Hennepin County Library." If you love libraries enough to think they are threatened by Reading Room, then this is clearly something you care about too.

Donate here.

If you are unable to donate, you can also choose to volunteer.

If you are feeling really ambitious, you could talk to your elected County Commissioner about how you support libraries and ask them to please maintain or increase their funding.

At the very least, like them on Facebook or Twitter or something.

Reading Room is just something I thought of. I told someone about it and they asked me to put it on. A space was provided. It doesn't have to be in that space. It can be anywhere. It should be everywhere.

3D

Books are three-dimensional objects. They become larger when you read them, as you interact with the book, you change it. Books, in the age of mechanical reproduction, are both copies and originals. Everything I'm saying is probably obvious, but when drawing a frame around reading, it is important to think about it in an intentional way.

When putting a frame around reading, you are in space, and you have entered the realm of dance and performance.

Also, you don't really need to think about it this much, either.

Welcome.

I've just been doing some promoting, so maybe you found your way here via that. Anyway, welcome. You can also like Reading Room MPLS on Facebook or follow on the Twitters @ReadingRoomMpls.

The actual inaugural event is this Friday, and the few days after that. Here:

August 12-17, Fr 6-8, Sat 2-4, Sun 2-4,Tues 12-2, Wed 3-5. Walker Art Center, Flatpak House. Minneapolis. Open Field.

Open Field here.

To learn more about Reading Room Mpls, see all the posts below.

See you there, any questions?

Creative Reading

I wonder if there are people out there who read creatively? If we can agree that reading is an active act, that it is something more than a passive activity, then a reader can choose to read creatively, as an artist. The art of reading. Similar to how, say, a performer in an orchestra is also an artist. Or how a jazz musician might interpret a song, using improvisation. The difference with reading as art might be, however, that there will always be an audience of one.

What would improvised reading look like?

There is action and movement involved in reading. Think of reading as dance. Your eyes move across and up and down the page. Usually from left to right, and down the page, if you are reading in English. Your hands move also. So is it like dance, or is it like theater. Think about space. The room you're reading in as stage, and where are you sitting, how is the light, where are your eyes drawn?

You make noise while you read. Are you making music? Or is it only music if you record yourself and replay it for someone?

These are some of the ways I hope you think about Reading Room.

Thank you Mark Allen

Sorry I've been away from the site for a while. I was on vacation in northern Wisconsin, where, yes, I got quite a bit of reading done. Plus I've been busy with my day job at Coffee House Press, and since I've just been named publisher there, there is quite a bit to learn.

Which is another reason I'm excited for Reading Room. I have to remind myself, and I hope you do the same, that it's worthwhile to take time for yourself, and, in my case, take time doing something I love (reading) to remind myself why I do the job in the first place.

The other day I went to a lecture by Mark Allen, head of the very cool Machine Project at the very cool Soap Factory.

The talk more or less explained what Machine Project is, since they are in town for the very cool Open Field at the Walker Art Center. (Reading Room is part of Open Field this summer.)

At one point in the lecture, he talked about how sometimes people treat art they don't understand in a way that is different than how they view other things. That is, if the viewer/reader/whatever doesn't understand the work of art, it's considered "bad." (This is especially true in book reviewing, I can tell you.)

However, replace "art" with "physics." No one, Mark says, who doesn't know much about physics, takes a look at a complicated physics equation and says, "I don't understand this physics, it must be bad."

I think I am going to be using that example for a very long time. Thank you, Mark Allen.

Vonnegut: Literaure is the only art form in which the audience performs the score.

Pictures

If you send me interesting pictures of yourself reading I will post them. If I can figure out how to post pictures. Tomorrow I am going to buy a flip camera of some kind to see if I can start posting videos. Exciting action shots of people reading. Maybe in slow motion even.

Any recommendations for one of those cameras for under $200?

In Search Of

We're looking for a very specific kind of library card holder. Not a card catalog, but remember when you wrote your name on the card and it was stamped with the date? Then the librarian took that and filed it in a little wooden box, vertically. It was about a foot long, maybe 3 inches high. Do you know what I'm talking about? We need one. Help.

Open Field

Heading over to Open Field in a few minutes. Partly, it's an excuse to eat a burger at the grill. But I'm also going to this

http://blogs.walkerart.org/openfield2011/event/field-office-open-field-arrow-workshops-and-exchange/

put on by another Field Officer.

Then I'm meeting a few Coffee House poets and we're going to brainstorm ideas for poetry / space / performance events that we can put on this summer at Open Field. If you have any ideas, feel free to share them.

Free

I forgot to mention that Reading Room is free. It's free.

Reading Room Hours Announced

Reading Room Mpls Hours Announced!: August 12-17, Fr 6-8, Sat 2-4, Sun 2-4,Tues 12-2, Wed 3-5. Walker Art Center, Flatpak House.

Welcome to Reading Room MPLS

Part of Walker Art Center's Open Field Field Office Fellowship program, Reading Room is an experiment in intention. Finding myself unable or unwilling to make time for personal, nonwork pleasure book reading, I realized that I would, probably, actually pay to go somewhere, preferably a quiet place with comfortable chairs, proper lighting, and no electronics, and read. In our busy lives, will book lovers actually make time, intentionally, to go to a designated place solely to read a book, for an extended period of time, unplugged? Does reading (a solitary act) somehow become more attractive, more meaningful when surrounded by others (a crowd) who also have taken time to intentionally read? By putting a frame around the act of reading, will participants somehow gain a new appreciation for their time, and take Reading Room on the road?