POLITICS AND BOOKS | A Retrospective (Ft. Y'all!)

Описание: Books are political!

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Mentioned: ‪@ReadswithRachel‬ ‪@heabooktubes‬

Last year, the online bookish community (booktube, bookstagram, booktok) had a series of discussions around anti-intellectualism and reading, people in general but also collage students not reading anymore, and politics and books - whether reading should be considered political or should just be for escapism. This was no coincidence as the world was in political turmoil last year (and still continues to be). The U.S. election and Trump winning, and the fallout from his presidency has also created the basis for a lot of these discussions. Who can we trust in the bookish community? What are the dangers of anti-intellectualism and the lack of critical reading, and how is that exacerbated by the rise of conservatism that we are seeing in the world over?

In this video, I discuss the necessary connections between politics, anti-intellectualism, and the growing lack of enthusiasm around reading in the age of short-form content overload. I discuss how the challenges to libraries, the banning of books, and the vilification of intellectuals are all key tools used by conservative ideologies to keep us in control. I also discuss why reading, in general, is a tool of liberation and how fiction itself as art can be a form of praxis and activism on its own. I also include opinions from you all as well! Hope you enjoy it.

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