Time to consume some printed content

Read any good books lately? Neither have I. In fact, since the start of the year, I can count the number of books I've finished on one hand -- and three of them I've read before.

What's up with that? The hip, facile answer would be to blame New Media. These days the Web is full of people talking -- with a strange sort of pride -- about how things like Twitter and Hulu and Facebook and YouTube are pushing Old Media, like TV and movies and books, off to the side of the road. The thrust of this CNET piece, for example, is that the guy spends a lot more time these days Tweeting about things than actually experiencing them. You can see how far this has gone by pondering the headline: "How the Web changed my content consumption."

Did I refer to "TV and movies and books" in that last paragraph? What I meant was "content." You don't read a book or watch a show anymore, you consume content. And you'd better be quick about it, or you'll end up consuming something that's as stale as an SNL episode on a Monday afternoon. Good luck Tweeting about that -- kiss of death, baby. It's hard enough live-blogging every episode of 30 Rock without also having to pick up a freaking book.

That would be the easy explanation: too much content out there for one man to consume. But for me, it's not really true. I've largely abandoned Twitter, quit looking every 15 minutes to see if somebody responded to whatever useless remark I'd formulated regarding something I'd seen on TV. I gave up Facebook, I'm indifferent to YouTube, I don't care to watch fragments of TV shows or amusing commercials on tiny screens. I've got all the time in the world to read books, but I haven't been reading them. For some reason, every book jacket I look at makes the book itself seem like way too much trouble.

I don't what's behind this sharp decline in my reading. Maybe it's a result of trying to write for a living myself. Maybe on some level I can't bear to read successful authors who are either worse or better than I am -- the first group creates bitter resentment, the second despair. Who needs it? Or maybe -- and this is the most likely scenario -- I've just gotten lazy and preoccupied with other things. A book isn't like a Flight of the Conchords video; it takes a certain amount of commitment to see even a good one through to the end.

In any case, I'm not quite ready to to make the leap the CNET guy did, and give up reading books altogether. Old Media or not, I'd better get back to it. Time for a determined trip to the library, with a stop at Border's. Recommendations, anyone? I lean to crime fiction, but all suggestions will be considered.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'm mailing you a Peter Bowen "Montana mystery featuring Gabriel Du Pre." The guy is good about eastern Montana; his style and scope remind me much of your EQ stories. It is a fair object lesson on characterization, so it may be an affirmation of the work you are doing.

Stock
February 18, 2009 at 7:32 AM
Dave Knadler said…
Well, thanks Michael. God knows, I could use some affirmation. I look forward to getting the book.
February 18, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Tess Knadler said…
Give up New York Times crossword puzzles for Lent. You will find you get a lot more reading done.
February 18, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Linda said…
I am a voracious reader, and have a number of books in my "to be read" pile. I can always find something from one of my favorite authors. Perhaps not the "literary" books other folks read, but still, good reads as far as I'm concerned.
February 21, 2009 at 8:55 PM
Anonymous said…
I will not approve on it. I regard as polite post. Expressly the designation attracted me to read the whole story.
January 15, 2010 at 6:07 AM
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