Reading
“Only Disconnect”
In this New York Times essay, novelist Gary Shteyngart ponders the disconnections of contemporary life in digital America as he ruminates on writing and reading books.
Center for Reading and Language Research
Based at Tufts University, this center is directed by Maryanne Wolf, author of "Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain."
“Further Thoughts of a Novice E-Reader”
Verlyn Klinkenborg, writing for The New York Times editorial page, weighs the experience of reading on an iPad vs. with a book in hand.
“Hamlet's Blackberry: Why Paper Is Eternal”
William Powers writes about the future of paper as a medium.
“The Shallows': This Is Your Brain Online”
In an NPR interview, Nicholas Carr, author of "The Shallows," describes what he believes frequent use of the Internet is doing to our brains and to our ability to engage in deep reading and reflective thought.
“Next Big Thing in English: Knowing They Know That You Know”
Patricia Cohen writes in The New York Times about literary scholars and cognitive science.
“How to Use Interactive Time Lines in Breaking News & Ongoing Stories”
Poynter's Mallory Jean Tenore explains how journalists can create interactive timelines with Dipity and why these can help provide context to stories.
“Rethinking Libraries for a Digital Future”
With so much information moving from the printed page to the computer screen, Harvard is thinking critically about the changing role of libraries and librarians.
“Is Technology Producing A Decline In Critical Thinking And Analysis?”
An analysis of 50 studies about learning and technology finds that our critical thinking skills have declined while our visual skills have improved.
“Yes, People Still Read, but Now It’s Social”
Writing in The New York Times, Steven Johnson questions the growing concern over the dangers of multitasking, and offers a rebuke of some points made in Nicholas Carr's “The Shallows.”