“Serious Literature Might Be Becoming Cool Again”

A recent Guardian article titled “A renaissance rooted in technology: the literary magazine returns” argues that the environment for literary magazines looks good. It discusses how the internet has made it more affordable to print and market a literary magazine. In particular it states how the short story is great to read on the commute to work because of the creation of internet-wired cellphones. The article argues that the reason for this change is the re-vamping of literature in order to spur the interest of the population.

This article surprised me for the simple fact that I don’t see that serious literature has become more widely read recently. I feel that more often than not people nowadays would rather turn on the television and fry their brains than sit down to read a good book. This is  not to say that I don’t enjoy a good television-brain-fry once in a while, but looking at the current state of children in our country and even the world, they are being entertained by Spongebob Squarepants instead of being read Goodnight Moon or Horton Hears a Who. I don’t blame parents for this; it’s easier to entertain a child with television than with a book because it’s hard to get children to sit still for the time it takes to read a book. But if they don’t inspire their children to read, the responsibility falls on the next generation.

With this being said, I hope to see more children and adults embrace literature and make it a part of their life because reading is truly one of the most enriching, intellectually stimulating activities one can do. I also hope that the literary magazine world continues to flourish because I believe it is wonderful because it gives us easy access to up-and-coming serious literature.