Back in the Daily Show days, Jon Stewart would sometimes find himself harassed by audience members who disagreed with his analysis of the news. (Odd they would be in the audience. Had they never watched?)
On those occasions, Stewart would sometimes harass right back: “Read a fucking book!”
Which I find inspiring.
On the other hand, Florida and other states are turning us back to a time when banning (burning?) books is said to the the most patriotic thing.
So, then, I find reading whole books to be an act of resistance.
They come from everywhere, these books I read: reviews in the papers, recommendations from colleagues and friends, things I stumble upon in my other reading. One thing leads to another, you know.
When COVID raged and folks were stuck, continuing education events were off the table, but I had two weeks of time to use. I set aside one week of this for reading — a reading week! What a luxury!
When I was a new pastor in Texas in the late 80s, with no budget for continuing ed, but two weeks available, I asked our church council for permission to take a “reading week.” Said the council president: “You mean take an entire week and do nothing but read?” as if that were the most wasteful, ridiculous idea he’d ever heard. The council voted no. The biggest insult — that council president was the principal of the high school in that small town. Yikes.
Now, I don’t ask so much as I announce. I schedule reading week, as surely as I schedule vacation or worship team meetings. Reading is good for us; it makes me smarter, fills in the parts of my education where there are massive gaps, keeps me up on current social trends and world events, helps me put things in context, and, as a preacher, helps me make new connections between and among scripture and our current realities. Reading more than one book in succession helps me integrate information from various angles and sources, gives me varied perspectives. It makes/helps/allows me to think critically.
My reading weeks, then, look like this: Choose 6-8 books (I can read about 250-300 words a day on average), find a place with zero interruptions, and read from 9 am to 5 or 6 pm, Monday through Friday. With a tea kettle, pencils (because underlining and jotting in the margins helps me think and remember), and perhaps some snacks, I’m all set. (Yes, I read printed books that I have purchased — sometimes new, sometimes like new. The whole ebook thing doesn’t work for me; if it works for you, cool.)
I have also taken to reviewing/reporting on these books in a public way. This blog site includes a section for book reviews, which I hope helps others ponder the things I’m pondering (and lets my congregation feel good about the time I’m using). So, this reading week, I read Monday-Thursday, and spent Friday writing. (I also now have three new books in my cart at thriftbooks — things I decided I wanted to know more about as I read through the five that made this week’s cut.)
Today, then, on the heels of a reading week, I’ve posted 5 new reviews: on LBJ’s presidency, racial history in America, the criminal justice system, and a parable about socialism. Amazing how they all speak to each other, and even the old ones seem ever new.
You can find those reviews here. I hope my reading feeds you in some ways. If I could encourage you to do the same, I’d be happy to read your reviews, reflections and recommendations, as well.
Either way, “read a … book!” It is, perhaps above all, an act of resistance.