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Unit8TheFutureofReading(GeorgeSteiner)1Itishardlynecessaryformetocitealltheevidenceofthedepressingstateofliteracy.ThesefiguresfromtheDepartmentofEducationaresufficient:27millionAmericanscannotreadatall,andafurther35millionreadatalevelthatislessthansufficienttosurviveinoursociety.2Butmyownworrytodayislessthatoftheoverwhelmingproblemofelementalliteracythanitisoftheslightlymoreluxuriousproblemofthedeclineintheskillsevenofthemiddle-classreader,ofhisunwillingnesstoaffordthosespacesofsilence,thoseluxuriesofdomesticityandtimeandconcentration,thatsurroundtheimageoftheclassicactofreading.Ithasbeensuggestedthatalmost80percentofAmerica'sliterate,educatedteenagerscannolongerreadwithoutanattendantnoise(music)inthebackgroundoratelevisionscreenflickeringatthecorneroftheirfieldofperception.Weknowverylittleaboutthecortexandhowitdealswithsimultaneousconflictinginput,buteverycommon-sensehunchsuggestsweshouldbeprofoundlyalarmed.Thisbreachofconcentration,silence,solitudegoestotheveryheartofournotionofliteracy;thisnewformofpart-reading,ofpart-perceptionagainstbackgrounddistraction,rendersimpossiblecertainessentialactsofapprehensionandconcentration,letalonethatmostimportanttributeanyhumanbeingcanpaytoapoemorapieceofproseheorshereallyloves,whichistolearnitbyheart.Notbybrain,byheart;theexpressionisvital.3Underthesecircumstances,thequestionofwhatfuturethereisfortheartsofreadingisarealone.Aheadofuslietechnical,psychic,andsocialtransformationsprobablymuchmoredramaticthanthosebroughtaboutbyGutenberg.TheGutenbergrevolution,aswenowknowit,tookalongtime;itseffectsarestillbeingdebated.Theinformationrevolutionwilltoucheveryfacetofcomposition,publication,distribution,andreading.Nooneinthebookindustrycansaywithanyconfidencewhatwillhappentothebookaswe'veknownit.4Itnowlooksasiftheartsofreadingwillfallintothreedistinctcategories.Thefirstwillcontinuelobethevast,massofreadingfordistraction,formomentaryentertainment–theairportbook.Isuspectthatthiskindofreadingwillmoreandmoreinvolvenotcheappaperbacksbutcabletransmissionstohomescreens.Youwillselectthebookyouwish,thespeedatwhichyouwishittobepresentedonthescreen,thespeedatwhichyouwishthepagestobeturned.Sometextswillbereadtotheviewerbyaprofessionalreader.Whetherornotthetextwillappearonthescreenasitisbeingreadisanopenquestion.5Thesecond-kindofreadingwillbeforinformation-whatDeQuinceycalled“theliteratureofknowledge,todistinguishitfromfiction,poetry,anddrama,whichhecalledtheliteratureofpower.”Themeanstoacqu.iretheliteratureofknowledge-themicrocircuit,thesiliconchip,thelaserdisc-willalterourhabitsbeyondanythingwecannowconceive.“TheLibraryofBabel,thelibraryofallpossiblelibrariesthatBorgesimaginedinhisfable,willbeliterallyandconcretelyaccessibleforpersonalandinstitutionaluse.Wewillbeabletosummonituponascreen,andherethepossibilityofabasicchangeinthestructuresofattentionandunderstandingisalmostincommensurable.6Whataboutreadingintheold,private,silentsense?Thismaybecomeasspecializedaskillandavocationasitwasinthescriptoriaandlibrariesofmonasteriesduringtheso-calledDarkAges.Wenowknowthesewereinfactkeyages,radiantintheirpatience,radiantintheirsenseofwhathadtobecopiedandpreserved.PrivatelibrariesmayonceagainbecomeasnotableandrareastheywerewhenErasmusandMontaignewerefamousfortheirs.Thehabitoffurnishingaroom,alargeroom,possibly,withshelvesandfillingthemwithbooks,notpaperbacksbutboundbooks,theattempttocollectthecompleteeditionsofanauthor(itselfaveryspecialconcept)aswellasthefirsteditions,notnecessarilytherarebooksoftheMorganLibrarybutthefirsteditionsofamodernauthor,withthehopeofowningeverythingbyawriter-good,bad,orin-different-whomoneloves;theability-aboveall,thewish-toattendtoademandingtext,tomasterthegrammar,theartsofmemory,thetacticsofreposeandconcentrationthatgreatbooksdemand-thesemayoncemorebecomethepracticesofanelite,ofamandarinateofsilence.7Suchamandarinate,suchaneliteofbookmenandbookwomen,willnothavethepower,thepoliticalreach,ortheprestigethatithadduringtheRenaissanceandtheEnlightenment,andalmosttotheendoftheVictorianage.Thatpoweralmostinevitablywillbelongtothealliterate.Itwillbelongtothenumerate.Itwillbelongincreasinglytothosewho,whiletechnicallyalmostunabletoreadaseriousbookandmostlyunwillingtodoso,caninpreadolescenceproducesoftwareofgreatdelicacy,logicalpower,andconceptualdepth.Thepowerrelationsareshiftingtothem,tomenandwomenwho,havingfreedthemselvesfromtheheavyburdenofactualalphabeticliteracyanditsconstantreferentialhabits,fromthefactthatalmostallgreatliteraturereferstoothergreatliterature,arecreators-nonreaders,butcreatorsofanewkind.8Returninghomeonenight,Erasmusissaidtohaveseenatornpieceofprintbesmirchedinthemud.Ashebenttopickitup,heutteredacryofjoy,overcomebythewonderofthebook,bythesheermiracleofwhatliesbehindpickingupsuchamessage.Today,inavasttrafficjamonahighwayorinaManhattangrid,wecaninsertacassetteoftheMissaSolemnisintoatapedeck.Wecan,viapaperbacksandsooncabletelevision,demand,command,andcompeltheworld'sgreatest,mostexigent,mosttragicordelightfulliteraturetobeservedupforus,packagedandcellophanedforimme