After reading it, didn't you feel that the arts are better off being hierarchical?
Once upon a time, wasn't that the case? On Sat, Jul 17, 2010 at 4:28 AM, William Conger <[email protected]>wrote: > The overall point of this essay is alright. Before placing the full blame > on > the effects of the rise of technology that offers speed of information at > the > cost of immersive book reading, keep in mind the action orientation of > youth. > Young people are motivated by action -- the quicker the better -- and are > not > so easily induced to do anything for a long period of time. The downside > re > speed of technology is that it prolongs kids' natural urge for varied > action > well beyond the time when kids are ready for more concentrated mental > activity. > The games and the computer centered gadgets become more and more oriented > to > adult interests but rely on a child-like favoring of quick changing short > term > concentration. Reading a book takes more time than is actually needed to > understand its thesis or plot. The slowness of reading opens up "brain > time" > for reflection and reflection forms relationships linking memories and > knowledge and thus fosters creative thinking. Our culture does not favor > reflection and "daydreaming' but action. The whole marketing world is > based on > prompting action now, buy now, and slogans like "go ahead just do it." > When I > wrote ads for Montgomery Ward, we were requested to add the slogan, "Buy > NOW and > Save" to every print ad. And that was 1960. Nothing has changed in that > respect except the medium of the message. > wc > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: joseph berg <[email protected]> > To: aesthetics-l <[email protected]> > Sent: Fri, July 16, 2010 10:29:31 PM > Subject: "A person who [once became] a citizen of the [art] world > [entered] a > hierarchical universe." > > > http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DEFD81E39F93AA35754C0A9669D8B63&ref=davidbrooks
