This is a weird lament considering I'm an author and find any kind of censorship appalling. But when I hear about a censored, banned, or challenged book in the States, part of me feels a sense of longing because that can ONLY happen when there are readers. (Certainly misguided, ignorant readers, but readers nonetheless. And, yes, I'm aware most banning happens when a parent, administrator, blockhead, whoever hasn't actually READ the book but HEARD about the book.) Here, though, when I mention book banning, I sometimes, very rarely, get a response akin to: Oh yeah. That happened to me in the 1970s when there was this popular erotic poet. My parents FREAKED out when I was reading his work.
And then the topic changes from books to something very not book related. This is because, quite simply, people don't read in Colombia. I'm not saying they CAN'T read, but the habit of reading, joy of reading is virtually non-existent. In Pereira, the average book read PER YEAR is fewer than one. (This counts ALL SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO ARE "FORCED" TO READ BOOKS).
People FIGHT to read in some places. People DIE to read in some places. I live in a place where this freedom is there ... at all times ... but it's not cherished.
Excuses abound:
Time. "I don't have time." (This makes NO sense to me since I always have time to read ... ALWAYS. It's just part of my daily habit. It's like eating. Sleeping. Reading. Essential daily activities.)
Expense. "Books are expensive." (Welcome to the world of the library!)
Interest. "There's nothing to read." (*faint*)
See what I'm getting at here?
So book banning is a conversation we can't have until we have book reading. So maybe I don't miss banners after all.
I miss readers.
That is really sad! Why do you think Columbia doesn't have a reading culture? Is it the lack of a homegrown publishing industry that has hurt them?
ReplyDeleteAnne, I'm not sure. I think, for a long time, there wasn't age-appropriate reading material. But there wasn't that in the States or Europe either. It confuses me. None of my peers, my age, that are Colombian read. NONE. The older generation does a bit more ... okay, almost not at all. I just can't figure out why. ???
ReplyDeleteHOW ARE YOU??
Heidisita, I read my first book when I was 10, and by the time I graduated High School I had read all the novels from the top latinamerican writers, that because of my Spanish teacher. I used to read about a book per month, I don´t anymore, by the time I am free to start reading I just can´t have my eyes open.
ReplyDeleteI believe we COLOMBIANS are trapped in the movies and TV culture, which is not nice, we need more teachers and parents to guide the youngest to the fantastic world of a book. Frogive my bad English...:-)
Hi Lina!!
ReplyDeleteI think it's habit. It's just something you integrate into your day. And if that habit, like exercise, isn't formed and maintained, our brains get lazy.
Still ... the tV and movie culture is big EVERYWHERE ... but I just don't GET why it has to be one or the other. Hmmm
Anyway, thanks for your thoughts. Trying to change the way Colombians think about reading one book at a time. One page at a time. One word at a time.
Heidy...
ReplyDeleteIt´s pretty tricky to try to understand this problem. I think the lack of readers/reading is not widespread in Colombia. I´d say it is clearly a problem in Pereira, but not in, say, Bogota. The cost of books is not an excuse because we have a great Library (Banco de la Republica), although it is true that book stores are scarce and expensive.