Digital Immortality

Image by Leo Reynolds via Flickr

Seeking immortality is nothing new.

According to Greek myth, Tithonus was granted immortality by Zeus at the request of his wife, Eos-- but because she forgot to ask for eternal youth, Tithonus grew to be a very old, shriveled man (and maybe a cicada?).

Even in the Disney classic, Aladdin, one of the provisions that Genie puts forth is that he cannot bring people back from the dead-- "it's not a pretty."

More recently, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named/Professor Quirrell seek immortality through unicorn blood and Nicholas Flamel's stone-- and we all know how unsuccessful they were at that.

The success rates of attaining immortality, as evident by these fine gents, is slim. Albeit a fine dream, it's pretty complicated to reverse or stop the inevitable circle of life. (Cue Lion King music.) Going back to Greek myth, the Three Fates will, at some point, cut you out of existence.

Men and women cannot fight time. However, art does not exist under the same rule.

Art is certainly a familiar tool that artists emply to escape the contrainsts of human life on Earth-- time being the most significant constraint of all. For instance, in his apostrophe Ode on a Grecian Urn, John Keats uses language to perpetuate a world of art in which human figures are “for ever warm and still to be enjoy’d, For ever panting, and for ever young."

In the poem, life is immortalized on the urn through pictures. The urn can be preserved, unlike humans, so the story of the people on the urn is similiarly preserved. In turn, the story of the people on the urn is doubly preserved in Keats' text.

Ahh, the power of words!

While traditionally this process of immortalization has been done in plays, poems, novels, treatises, and the like, online/digital writing is accomplishing the same task by cementing thoughts and stories and ideas through words. In fact, it could be said that ideas or people are more immortal online because so many more people access online material than printed material.

Although I'm not sure Keats would agree that online blogging or writing is an art form, I think he would be so proud of this perpetuation of life.

Commodification of Literature

Image via CrunchBase

Today in my Latin American Literature class, we discussed the history of the American book industry. In retrospect, we've come a long way since the very decentralized printing industry of pre-Civil War America. Without transportation or commercial presses, the printing, marketing, sale, and distribution of books was pretty non-existant.

However, after the Civil War (after the construction of the railroad and the revitalization of many American cities), the book industry was quickly centralized. The desire to unite the country through literature was apparent as books of all sorts, whether about manners, politics, or romance, found their way into the homes of American men and women.

This commodification of books was beneficial to society because it provided a more regular and faster exchange of ideas and thoughts. The better availability and accessibility of books to people of all classes and races democratized this exchange-- something previously monopolized by American genteel.

Since then, the book industry has become even more centralized. The genteel may no longer have a monopoly on ideas, but the book industry sure does. The major bookstores have completely standardized the experience of buying and reading books. Think about the last time you stepped into a Borders or Barnes and Noble. The stores are arranged in the same manner, right down to the sort-of nice furniture, the trendy coffee drinks, and the background music.

What does this mean for such companies? Profit. They have book selling down to a science; the lack of guesswork means fewer economic losses. It also means customer loyalty: shoppers enjoy the familiarity of these mega-book stores.

Theses stores certainly cater to the needs of the customer, an idea explored in Everything is Miscellaneous's discussion of Staples. But isn't this kind of shopping boring and predictable?

Sure, it's advantageous for the shopper to be able to get in and out of a busy store... but isn't there a certain appeal to "window shopping" and discovering new and great things?

Maybe this is why I like to shop at small bookstores, ones that carry special editions and rare finds. I'm not crazy though, I'm guilty of shopping at these superstores myself. After all, they are more affordable... I'm a college student, let's be real here.

Good Manners Be Damned?

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As I get ready for Spring Break (THANK GOD), I've had to get in touch with a relative in Florida whom I'm visiting for a few days. While calling her on the phone would certainly be more personal and much more my style, I've resorteded to using the Internet as my primary means of communication. It's convenient, yes, but kind of tacky. I can send her my itinerary and plans, but when I thank her for letting me crash at her house, it doesn't really seem really heartfelt. And trust me, after the past few lousy weeks, the opportunity to be anywhere outside of College Park has made me especially thankful.

Against everything I stand for, or want to stand for, I've compromised quality for convenience-- something most people do in these modern days. Many modern technologies embrace this compromise-- and rightfully so in the busy world we live in. Such technologies as the Internet allow for immediate sharing of information, which is key, especially my last-minute attempt to make plans for vacation.

But as we embrace this convenience, we turn our backs on each other. Instead of easily interacting with each other, which the Internet is supposed to encourage, we hide behind the words we write on a computer screen. I don't suggest using the mail as a more personal means of communication-- God knows the USPS does not understand the concept of haste-- but why not embrace an older technology, the telephone.

The power of the human voice is remarkable. Inflections, pauses, and connotations reveal so much more than the emoticons on your computer. In my case, a phone call would really reveal how much I appreciate the opportunity to get out of College Park and on to the beaches of Florida.

It's a little late for me to pick up the phone now, but I think next time I will reach for my cell before heading to the computer. Besides, I can make up for my lacking manners with a personal note and some fresh flowers.

The Future of Print Media

Image by ClintJCL via Flickr

Seeing as it's past midnight, it's as good a time as any to curl up with a good book (see previous post) and head to bed. Of course, first I have to finish the requisite and perfunctory tasks: brushing teeth, washing face, and in this modern day, checking my email one last time. As I close my Gmail window, I decide to check out one more site: The New Yorker's website (as displayed so enthusiastically on the website roll to the right).

I glance at the major sections, but stop when I see an interesting blog on the state of the newspaper business. A brief article on the present and future of print media called "News You Can Lose," the New Yorker reports that the newspaper industry faces problems that are the result from a perfect storm: the combination of decreased readership and advertisements.

The demise of newspapers is nothing new, but considering the recent claim of bankruptcy by Tribune Company and the anticipated layoffs of hundreds of newspaper employees nationwide, I have to wonder what the role of the newspaper will be in the coming years.

Many men and women have already made the transition from print to online news sources, but there are still those who have held out-- whether for their favorite column or the daily crossword. So what should these traditionalists expect? My guess: an increase in cost and a decrease in selection. The most successful newspapers will probably still be relevant news sources in the future-- I'm thinking the New York Times, the Washington Post, etc.

But what will be the effects of such an oligopoly? Worse quality? More bias? A select range of opinions and ideas?

Maybe the future of the industry isn't as grim as I anticipate, but I'm not holding out. Back to my book-- something that I think will last a lot longer than the dailies.

We've Come A Long Way Since Gutenberg

Very much my parent's child, I am a reader. I read every- and anything I can get my hands on-- Novels, non-fiction, newspapers, magazines, anything with words. Naturally, I think reading is just great. I can't think of a better way to discover new information, new ideas, new feelings, or even old information, old ideas, and old feelings.

To me, it's a shame that more people choose to watch the news rather than read it in the newspaper, or that people discover love by watching reruns of Titanic on TNT every month. It doesn't seem as real to me. The power of the brain to compute and react and understand ideas and feelings is astounding, and I think a lot of modern technology (TV, movies, videogames) has stunted this awesome capability.

Reading is almost considered oldfashioned these days. Passe. Irrelevant. It's not fashionable to read the Greats, so people settle and buy copies of Gossip Girl, The Devil Wears Prada, and The Dirty Girls Social Club (don't get me started on that, I have to read it for a Latin American Literature class. Seriously.)

Reading comprehension in elementary and secondary schools is beyond disappointing. My mom, a former English teacher in a Baltimore middle school, can tell tales of failing seventh graders who read at a second grade reading level. Second grade! It's embarrassing, really.

Naturally, I was pleased to hear that Amazon has released a new technology that actually promotes reading in our modern world. Go figure. Called the Kindle (well now, the Kindle 2.0), this device is like a literary iPod, offering men and women the ability to read books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs on "an electronic paper display." Basically a small computer screen, the Kindle 2.0 is a portable library for people who seek a balance of the literary life and convenience.

Amazon offers over 240,000 pieces of literature, ranging from the classics to modern crime novels. The books are all downloadable and can be stored in the device. Some books can even be read aloud, albeit by an automated voice. But still, pretty cool.

Despite the fact that this new literary wave excites me, and it does, I'm not sold. I'm currently reading I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. It's magnificent, read it. It's also a couple hundred pages long, like any Wolfe novel. I can assure you, this book was not meant for electronic paper-- kind of like how Star Wars is that much better on the big screen. Not only would it be annoying to read on such a device, considering the length, but the touch of metal and plastic can't beat the touch of paper and ink.

Maybe I'm a little too oldschool?

I'm interested to see, though, how Kindle catches on. Or if it does at all.

Will universities use the technology for textbooks?

Will a company like Apple adapt the technology for iPods?

Will Kindle ignite a passion for reading in Americans? I'm skeptical.

Regardless of whether or not Kindle is a hit, I think it's a relief to see technology embracing such a Renaissance art. Who knows, reading could be the new avant garde accessory for next fall...

Want to hear another reader's opinion on Kindle? Check out Stephen King's reaction.