OTMJ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL u OTMJ.COM
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021
Reading Through the Pandemic
Local Librarians Discuss the Importance of Reading and Pandemic Literary Trends By Emily Williams-Robertshaw
I
n the words of author George Saunders, “Reading is a form of prayer, a guided meditation that briefly makes us believe we’re someone else.” Regular reading also provides an escape from where we are. The Stanford Graduate School of Business recently published an article by Martin J. Smith, in which Stanford business scholar Scotty McLennan discusses the value of literature in times of crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic. “Good literature helps us understand good human relations,” McLennan states. “It’s valuable through its nuances, its twists and turns, its dilemmas, its paradoxes. It helps us see more than is otherwise seen and focus on what ultimately matters.”
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
See READING, page 8
Homewood librarian Leslie West with some recommended reading.
