A Review of Responses to the National Endowment for the Arts Report, “R

During the past twenty years there has been much debate over topics regarding literacy and literature in America. In June 2004, base on their comparison of literary reading surveys from 1982, 1992, and 2002, the depicted object Endowment for the arts released the following statement.The accelerating declines in literary reading among all demographic groups of American adults indicate an imminent cultural crisis. The trends among younger adults warrant special concern, suggesting that unless almost effective solution is found literary culture, and literacy in general, will hatch to worsen. Indeed, at the current rate of loss, literary reading as a leisure activity will virtually disappear in half a century. (NEA, interlingual rendition at Risk)In recent years, introduction to the Internet has become available to Americans of all ages and cultural backgrounds. well-nigh chest figures in academia see this as a threat to the continuation of printed literature. Other author ities view the Internet as an additional culture medium for advancing literacy. Another problem authorities face is one of definition. Some authorities want a broader definition of what constitutes literature while others aver on a standard of quality for literary works. What follows are virtually thoughts and opinions on these related topics and others.Some critics feel the NEA surveys condition definition of literary reading is the NEAs feeble attempt to signal genres of literary importance. The Reading at Risk study defines literary readers as those who read short stories, poetry, and plays in their leisure time, excluding any reading through with(p) for work or school or on the Internet (NEA, Reading at Risk). Stuart Moulthrop, co-author of the online dialogue, New Literacies ... ...orum Blog. 29 Sept. 2004. .Rachel. More on Reading at Risk. Online Posting. 23 August 2004. Banana Republican. 19 Sept. 2004 .Schwartz, Nomi. NEAs Reading at Risk Elicits Strong, Varied Resp onses. American Booksellers experience Online. 15 July 2004. 19 Sept. 2004. .Solomon, Andrew. Reading at Risk Lack of relate in Literature is a Crisis. Commentary Columbia Daily Tribune. 8 Aug. 2004. 19 Sept. 2004. .Wood, Peter. Literature at Risk The State of Our Reading Habits. National Review Online. 19 July 2004. 19 Sept. 2004 .