I live in New York City. New Yorkers spend inordinate amounts of time on buses and trains and whether we are lucky enough to have a seat or are standing, squashed among a crowd of commuters and leaning precariously against a narrow aluminum pole, most of us spend our commuter time reading.
A few months back, I was at the Festival Book Club in North Fort Myers, Florida, which is a community where people rarely ride on public transportation of any description. When the topic of the kindle and other e-readers came up, I mentioned that one of the downsides of e-readers is that it lacks the free advertising of having the cover of an anthology containing one of my stories in full view of a captive audience of forty or fifty (or more) people in a subway car.
The other day, Melanie Benjamin wrote an article in the Huffington Post called To Judge A Nook By Its Cover.
Melanie focused on the communal aspect of public reading on mass transit. The nod of the head to someone who is reading a book you found fascinating or the exchange of smiles between two people reading the same book.
I enjoyed Melanie’s article and thought you would too. You can find it here.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Another Thought About E-readers
Terrie
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7 comments:
Very interesting. I must admit I never thought of the flip side of the equation, just how nice it was that people didn't know what you were reading! (Especially when you're reading something covered with very lurid and splashy, half-naked clinches!)
But you do make a good point. I remember once getting into a conversation on a train ride from GCT with a woman who noticed me reading Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and drew me into a whole discussion of The Yiddish Policemen's Union. Made the 30 or so minute trip fly by. Not usually that social.
Taryn- Some of the earliest adopters of these devices were erotica readers for exactly that reason.
So what's the Kindle or Nook equivalent of the cover discussion? Is there one?
Hi Taryn,
Now see, I never thought anyone would want to hide what they are reading from a bunch of strangers.
Clare,
"So what's the Kindle or Nook equivalent of the cover discussion? Is there one?"
Being from the Stone age, I have no idea. Unless it is similar to the conversation that Melanie mentions. She says that when she tries to ask what someone is reading on the device, they invariably answer about the device itself.
Terrie
I never thought of that. I love folks to see the trashy covers of what I read. I feel all smug when they shake their heads at me.
Charles,
You are a man after my own heart!
Terrie
Never thought of that aspect but I will strain neck muscles to see what others are reading so I do understand.
Hey Travis,
Yep, these e-readers do make that neck muscle strain almost impossible.
Terrie
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