In June of 2004 the National Endowment of the Arts released a doom and gloom report about reading. Based on 20 years of statistics, the report concluded that people of all ages, class, race, etc., do not read as much literature as previous generations, and will continue to read less and less from here on. Kevin Smokler knew otherwise. As a well-known blogger and author online, Smokler knew of the world of electronic readers and writers who are not only outside of the mainstream, Oprah-bookclub lit-lovers. By reaching out to friends and colleagues, he collected essays that dispute the reports claims. Bookmark Now showcases writers from all genres, mediums, and ages that intelligently and thoroughly open our eyes to the fact that reading and writing are not dead, they’re just evolving. “Together,” he writes in his introduction, “[these essays] argue that the sky is not caving in on American Literature. Instead, it is opening above us, and in that unknown lie infinite possibilities.”

In 3 parts, the Beginning, Now, and the Future, bloggers, MFA grads, journalists, and published authors (both acclaimed and not) explain, from their own professions and experiences, that yes, traditional book buying and reading is becoming a thing of the past, the written word is simply being used differently. Writers do not have an Algonquin Round Table, bohemian villages, or Parisian cafes; they have chat rooms, weblogs, and Starbucks.

They also look at why. Sales reports, mergers, and spread sheets have forced editors and publishers to focus on what will sell, not good literature.

Smokler and co. present some real gems in this collection. In his piece, Distractions, Tom Bissell tells us about an unknown work by Martin Amis entitled, Invasion of the Space Invaders: An Addict’s Guide to Battle Tactics, Big Scores and the Best Machines. (My computer solitaire addiction is no longer a source of shame). Pamela Ribon taught herself HTML and began her blog after being told, “The web’s not for girls.” Christian Bauman describes being awakened by Hemingway while stationed in Somalia. And Douglas Rushkoff views downloading and piracy of books as helpful to all writers- think of it as iTunes for the literary set.

Writers, book lovers, and readers in general will love these insightful essays by authors who are living a literary boom of their own, no matter what the statistics say.

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