Anastassios, apology accepted (though, I will require your right arm, and your first-born child.) But first, why are you apologizing again?

Calum, I too started out in very humble reading beginnings. I’ve always loved to read, but it wasn’t until high school that I realized that writing could be more than just functional: it could be lyrical and beautiful and surprising. Whatever people’s tastes in literature and wherever they begin, I’d wish for everyone to have the chance to experience that kind of writing.

Dew, you’re preaching to the choir. I’m a little unsure if you’re yelling at me or at the literary fear-mongers, so maybe I should clarify my position a bit: I too am always a bit perplexed by the articles and stats on people not reading – how and where they get those numbers is always a bit too obscure for me. I see people reading all the time: on the bus, on the subway, standing in line…to me they’re everywhere! But I try to give some of those articles the benefit of the doubt because despite what I see now, I recall the days when I grew up. In high school, I wasn’t known as the girl who read a lot, I was known as the girl who read. Suffice it to say, that in my school, when the kids in my class finished a test, they didn’t pull out a book – they doodled in their notebook. I don’t offer that as proof that all the statistics are right. But before I dismiss them out of hand because of where I find myself now (surrounded by literate people who seem to appreciate reading as much as I do) I think of where I was then and think that perhaps the stats aren’t all wrong either. In all honesty, I haven’t made up my mind either way. The problem I have is that, if declining readership is a problem, I’d like the critics and whoever else to shut up about it and do something. To me, that’s like a man standing outside yelling, “My house is burning! My house is burning!” while he has a bucket in his hand…

Don’t you come near me with your Tom Clancy or your John Grisham! I’ve got Jim Crace and I know how to use him.