originally published 11/1/2004

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia discusses the important role literary reading plays in society and the 2004 publication from the NEA about such reading. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America reports statistics about the reading levels of various groups of Americans from the past twenty years and presents evidence of a marked decline in literary reading across all demographics. One of its most sobering statistics reveals that young adults between the ages of 18 to 24, who were once the most likely to read plays, poems, or fiction, are now the least likely to read. Electronic devices are partly to blame for the decrease in reading, says Gioia. He laments the decline while applauding rich narratives and the effect they can have on a people and a society; stories teach people, he explains, while simultaneously exciting their minds, hearts, memories, and senses. This interview was originally featured on Volume 70 of the Journal.

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