Reading: Citizen of the Galaxy by R Heinlein
Music: NOFX's "War of Errorism"
TV/Movie: Tenchi Forever
Link o' the Day: Fictionwise.com

Info an the Fiction Writers APA can be found in February 26th's entry. If you're a writer, give it a look.

I will be contacting those who have expressed interest before the week's end.
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I came across this topic at Adam-Troy Castro's newsgroup as sff.net, and it both stunned me, and reminded me that I, too, have run into this. First... Adam-Troy's piece (which is copyrighted to him and not owned by me... reproduced here solely for the benefit of those who can't get sff.net newsgroups):

Bibliophobia
Here's a topic likely to provide some grist: the existence of folks who are not just indifferent to, but downright hostile to, the very idea of books.

Like the one who told me a few years ago, "You know, whenever I go to somebody's house and see a lot of books, I know they don't have a life." My immediate response: "That's funny. When I go to a house and see NO books at all, I know the person's not worth talking to."

My wife experienced one the other day. She was discussing possible home purchases with a co-worker who's also in the market for a house, and as we live in Florida where it's not all that important to keep a car garaged all the time, both were talking about how they would turn any two- or three-car garage into a finished library with space for all our acquisitions.

Another co-worker overheard and walked in and said, "A GARAGE IS FOR CARS! NOT FOR BOOKS!!"

"Well, it won't be a garage anymore. It'll be a library."

"YOU DON'T NEED A LIBRARY! BOOKS DO **NOTHING** FOR A HOUSE BUT TAKE UP SPACE!*"

The proper response for this would have been that people with no books do nothing but take up space. But my wife explained that we already have a lot of books and that we do want them displayed.

"BOOKSHELVES ARE FOR DORKS!" the co-worker hollered, and stormed out.

My wife and the fellow potential home-buyer gaped at each other in disbelief.

The rest of the day, they were proudly and loudly calling each other "Dork Boy" and "Dork Girl."

Now, I have no real problem with non-readers. Not everybody has an interest. Although I'm never happy unless I have a read in progress, I know a lot of people who read intermittently, whenever the mood strikes them, and others who simply never picked up the habit. Many are still capable of respecting my love of books. I know a few who simply feel intimidated by ALL THE WORDS, and though it's a sad condition, it's not a hateful one.

But the folks who are downright HOSTILE to books...on principle...stun me.

That would stun me as well. It would be like looking at a person with two heads--or maybe no head at all. I've stood at bus stops and read. People will ask me, "What you reading for?" Note--not "what _are_ you reading?" but "what (are) you reading _for_?"

Do I really need to come up with a reason? I could try, but the chances are high that the other person will end up being insulted. The better question to ask is "why aren't _you_ reading?"

Okay, maybe I'm a snob. It wouldn't be the first time I've been assigned that, but further conversations with people like this reveal that they just can't comprehend reading a book. It doesn't matter if it's only a short 200-pager or even a 100-pager. If it's not printed on glossy paper and covered with lurid photographs, it just isn't worth it.

I will say this, however, and I make no apologies in doing so--I have rarely meet a person I respect who is not a reader--and likewise... the people I tend to not consider worth much of my time also happen to be people who don't seem to read much at all. Funny how that works.

Now there are exceptions--and this is where I backpedal a bit--not everyone has the opportunity to read. Someone who works two or three jobs to support a family is not going to have a lot of time to sit and read a book. Someone who grew up in a wretched environment, or even just one with a lousy/apathetic school system may have never been introduced to reading for pleasure, or been introduced to the idea that we can teach ourselves whatever we want.

But it's those who have a disdain for books, and for reading, or for any kind of intellectual reflection that I have little time for. These are the people who have the opportunities and the resources, but choose not to use them. The ones who are afraid that being smart will make them seem like 'dorks'.

What these poor idiots have is my pity.

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Today's link goes to Fictionwise.com. Granted, it's a commercial site, but there are a number of free books for download. Fictionwise is particularly noteworthy because it's one of the few ebook providers who have a.) been successful, b.) been around for more than a couple of years, and c.) seems to pay their authors fairly well. It's a good spot to find books that are otherwise out of print as well.

It's a fun site, and cheap.

Enjoy!