And as an avid reader, and knowing what reading has meant to me my whole life, I can t imagine life without the ability to read how much joy you would lose without it and all the opportunities you would lose without it. Orlean said that despite the highbrow reputation of The New Yorker, her aim as a staff writer is decidedly egalitarian. If I can trick someone into reading who didn t think they were going to read, I consider it a job well done. She put in a special word for the public library system. As somebody said recently, the public library is the most democratic institution in this country.
Public libraries are an unbelievable resource.
It s where so many kids learn to read and love books. Any support that we can give to a library is invaluable, she said. Children s horror writer R.L. Stine, who sells more than a million books a year, admitted he has every reason to be bullish on the younger generation as readers. Stine recalled a time not so long ago when teachers shunned his books. I thought that was just great.