CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Illustration via The New Yorker.

Maria Konnikova writes in The New Yorker: "Soon after Maryanne Wolf published “Proust and the Squid,” a history of the science and the development of the reading brain from antiquity to the twenty-first century, she began to receive letters from readers. Hundreds of them. While the backgrounds of the writers varied, a theme began to emerge: the more reading moved online, the less students seemed to understand. There were the architects who wrote to her about students who relied so heavily on ready digital information that they were unprepared to address basic problems onsite. There were the neurosurgeons who worried about the “cut-and-paste chart mentality” that their students exhibited, missing crucial details because they failed to delve deeply enough into any one case. And there were, of course, the English teachers who lamented that no one wanted to read Henry James anymore. As the letters continued to pour in, Wolf experienced a growing realization: in the seven years it had taken her to research and write her account, reading had changed profoundly—and the ramifications could be felt far beyond English departments and libraries. She called the rude awakening her “Rip van Winkle moment,” and decided that it was important enough to warrant another book. What was going on with these students and professionals? Was the digital format to blame for their superficial approaches, or was something else at work?" Read full article in The New Yorker. E.T.P. 9'

Photo: Gearoge Clooney, via The New Yorker.

George Clooney, Monster-Proof. Lauren Collins writes an excellent piece in The New Yorker that will give more reasons to never read the Daily Mail again... if is the case that you still have that nasty little habit ;) Three great fragments of this excellent reading: "Until last week, when George Clooney excoriated the Daily Mail for fabricating a story about his future mother-in-law, the newspaper’s most prominent sworn enemy was Hugh Grant" . . . "The Mail is a machine for wasting reputations. Sometimes civilians are its fodder, “monstered” like so many recyclables that got thrown in with the garbage. The paper demonstrates particular efficiency and relish in shredding the character of celebrities" . . . "The Mail, like all bullies, has quieted down in the face of a fair fight. It doesn’t seem to have found even a mildly tawdry means to impugn Clooney’s motives, and the false story was not a triviality." Read full article in The New Yorker. E.T.P. 4'

Infographic (fragment) via LA Times.

If you're studying French, thinking of visiting Corsica this summer or if you just want to have a look at a nice infographic, our contributor Marie sent us this nice Bastille-Day flow chart to brush up our French a little. Allez! Have a look at the full chart in L.A. Times. E.T.P. 2'