Stephanie Shapiro, a retired writer and former journalist from Baltimore, feels guilty reading during the day. I’ve often felt the same way (and I am paid to read). I chalk it up to my working class background. As a kid I learned that reading is a pleasure activity and days are meant for work, not pleasure.
Here is a taste of Shapiro’s piece at The Washington Post:
Why is the act of reading in the daytime considered so disruptive to life’s predictable, often unnecessary routines? It’s almost as though people would rather write than read. Millions of books, including self-published titles, are issued every year. But, according to an Economist/YouGov poll, 46 percent of Americans did not read a book last year. There are any number of explanations for this statistic, but one in particular stands out based on my experience.
Although I am retired, I find it hard to allow myself an afternoon with a book or a long magazine article. Just the thought of settling onto the sofa in daylight hours, especially on weekdays, smacks of laziness and stirs up guilt. If I must sit at all, it should be at a desk or a countertop to do something “useful”— answer an email, write a grocery list, look up a recipe, what have you.
Even procrastination is more socially acceptable than reading, as long as you eventually complete the day’s to-do list. Perhaps that’s because the act of putting off unpleasant tasks, unlike reading, is recognized as a fact of life. Reading, on the other hand, is what you do before you drift off to sleep, glad to have polished off another chapter as book club looms later in the week. Or reading is what you do on vacation, on a train or a plane. It’s not something woven into the daily regime, like brushing your teeth or making dinner. Instead, reading is treated as a luxury to indulge in only after work and all other activities are complete.
This quandary isn’t limited to the average person caught up in the daily hustle. On Story Club, his Substack newsletter, celebrated author George Saunders admits, “I’m seldom able to dedicate a couple of hours during the day to reading; most of my reading is done right before bed.”
Reading, to borrow the name of a children’s literacy group, is fundamental. But it’s not considered fundamental to everyday life. Untold resources flow into programs, research and campaigns for motivating readers young and old — but to little avail. Homework is a given, but it isn’t the same as reading just to, well, read. In a society that favors production over reflection, just reading loses out. Forsake all mundane obligations and spend the day reading and, the fear is, you have nothing tangible to show for it.
Read the rest here.