Graham Chainey's article, "Literary prizes are less about literature than about marketing," provides an interesting view on literary prizes awarded in this day and age.
I had never stopped to consider that prestigious awards like the Man Booker or the Nobel Prize for literature could be anything more than legitimate awards that those authors deserved, and while Chainey's article sounds like the grumblings of an old man wishing for the "good ole' days" he does make a good point that is worth at least considering and looking into.
You cannot measure the worth of a work of literature; it is specific to the reader. Sure, judges can look at the themes, diction, imagery, or other literary devices and find the most complex, but that is not what makes a novel great. You see, what makes a novel worthy of being upheld can only come from the reader, and no two readers are the same. As Chainey says, "there are no winners between novels, or between writers," and I can agree with this.
Chainey also points out that the ceremonies and banquet surrounding these organizations have become such a production that the authors loathe them. Honestly, when reading this article those parts didn't stick out to me as much because most of the world has fallen in love with wealth, but what did stick out is my disappointment because terrific writers are not getting the credit they deserve while these literary prizes basically decide who gets to profit and who does not. Maybe we have put too much power and weight into awards of all kind. Other people should not dictate your thoughts of what is good; only you have the power to stop going where other lead you and start forging your own path.

Amazing Harry Potter Cover Design

      The amazing works of art you see in this post were made by Kinsco Nagy. She recreated the Harry Potter books with interactive and stunning artwork as her final school project before she earned her BA degree.
      This young woman has an amazing talent, and it makes me extremely joyous to see someone using their talent to make books better. These books are truly special and if they ever go on sale I wouldn't hesitate to buy them.
      I hope J.K. Rowling realizes the impact her stories have had on the world. This is one example and there are many more. You have to love Harry Potter to even think of doing something like this, even if it is for a school project.
      I am completely in love with these designs. Think of the impact this could have. Making Harry Potter books interactive would make anyone want to read them. They are also glow in the dark! These books are a gift to the world.


      

First Edition Brothers Grimm

      We all know the stories of the Grimm brothers, but the ones we know are hardly as gruesome as their first edition. Jack Zipes, professor emeritus of German and comparative literature at the University of Minnesota, decided to take it upon himself to translate the Grimm brother's first edition of tale to English.
      Through the translation and study of the Grimm brother's first edition, Zipes has learn that many of the stories we know to day were altered to follow the society of Germany's middle class during that time. It makes sense that the brothers would want to appeal to a larger readership to increase profit and such, but the stories of their first edition seem so horrifying that they probably weren't even made for children. These stories include families butchering each other, and a mother threatening to eat her children out of starvation. It was even decided that these first stories were probably more for oral tradition and to be passed down by word of mouth.
      All stories should be told, and it's good that this one is being translated; however, I think there is a reason that the brothers changed them in the first place. The stories of their first edition seem unsuitable for small children, but I am not going to stop anyone from reading. Whatever interested you is what you should read. To be honest I would like to read this translated collection of stories even though they are very grim.

Flood, Allison. "Grimm Brothers’ Fairytales Have Blood and Horror Restored in New Translation." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 12 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

5 Year Old Reads 1000 Books

      A book challenge hosted by Louisville Free Public Library causes five year old Zen Kweli to read 1,000 books before her first day of kindergarden.
      This little girl is truly an inspiration. 1,000 books no matter what there size or reading level seems impossible, but this little girl did it in six months and before even one day of schooling. This is the perfect way to start children education early. If every parent was dedicated to teaching their child before they start school, then students would end up achieving even more from school.
      According to this article, students are starting school with the most minuscule knowledge of anything, especially reading. The advancement of students can be traced back to before they even started school, and those who had less exposure to reading are the student that are below or at average level.
      Words cannot describe how amazing this little girl is to me. I made a reading goal for this year that was 48, 200 page or more novels. This goal now seems very insignificant compared to the accomplishment of this girl. I understand that the books she read were not 200 page novels, but the discipline and love of books this girl had to have is truly remarkable.

Zen Kweli scans the shelves for a new read. Photo by: C-J books 

Ross, Allison. "Louisville 5-year-old Hits 1,000-book Mark." Louisville 5-year-old Hits 1,000-book Mark. The Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.

Library On Wheels

      Streetbooks, a non-profit mobile book library, is servicing the homeless people of Portland, Oregon to not only provide these people with great books, but to show everyone that "people living outside" are not so different from us.
      There are so many organization in the United States that work to help homeless people. There are groups that feed them, give them shelter, and help them find jobs. While these are all great ways to helps, they don't identify these people as normal or like everyone else. One of the amazing things Streetbooks does is help these people become educated readers and show the world that the people living outside, as they call them, are not so different from the rest of the educated community. They're not just giving books, they're telling the people of Portland that those people are just like you and me. They are sending a message, and to me thats the most important thing you can do with a non-profit organization.
      The patrons don't have to give their names and Streetbooks doesn't even have a way to ensure that they'll get the books back except trust. This may seem a little risky, but this system has worked and people have returned the books. It would be difficult for me to trust that I would get the books back and I would have to have some chart or graph to know what I gave out, where, and to whom.
      This organization is really doing a great thing for Portland. It would really benefit communities if these things were everywhere. It warms my heart when I hear about people like this doing things like this without receiving anything except the joy that comes from helping another person.
   

Homeless Outreach in Volumes: Books by Bike for ‘Outside’ People in Oregon
Johnson, Kirk. "Homeless Outreach in Volumes: Books by Bike for ‘Outside’ People in Oregon." The  New York Times. The New York Times, 09 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.

A New Way to Read

     When the world of reading books has died, a new company called Spritz thinks it has the solution for people to want to read.

      The article by Matt McFarland tells us that less people are reading books because we are too busy and new technology has received much more of our attention. Being an avid reader, I want to disagree and say that every day I see people siting and enjoying a book, but frankly, I can count the number of people I know who have read a book in the past month on one hand. 

      The invention Spritz was created to help people read faster and to be more focused while reading. Spritz rapidly flashes words on a screen in the exact same spot to provide the best comprehension and attention. 

       This could potentially change the way people read; however, I would not use it. Some may call me old fashioned but the only way I read is with a actual paper-filled book in my hands. 

Mc Farland, Matt. "Books Are Losing the War for Our Attention. Here’s How They Could Fight Back." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Sept. 2014.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/03/19/books-are-losing-the-war-for-our-attention-heres-how-they-could-fight-back/

Welcome to My Blog

Welcome to my blog; it is for educational purposes. I'll be posting bi-weekly for the enjoyment of my viewer, and I hope you like it.