Literary Reading in Dramatic Decline, According to National Endowment for the Arts Survey

Fewer Than Half of American Adults Now Read Literature

July 7, 2004

		Contact: Ann Puderbaugh 202-682-5570

New York, N.Y. - Literary reading is in dramatic decline with fewer than half of American adults now reading literature, according to a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) survey to be released in a news conference on Thursday, July 8, 2004 at the New York Public Library. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America gives the results of national trends in literary reading, based on a sample size of more than 17,000 adults and providing statistical measurement by age, gender, education, income, region, race, and ethnicity. The news conference will be followed by a panel discussion.

WHO:

Dana Gioia, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
Paul LeClerc, President and CEO, The New York Public Library

Panelists:

Paula Deitz, Editor, The Hudson Review
Mitchell Kaplan, President, American Booksellers Association
James McBride, Author and Member, National Council on the Arts
Richard Reyes-Gavilan, Supervising Librarian, Literature and Language Collection, Mid-Manhattan Library, The New York Public Library
Andrew Solomon, Author

WHAT:

Presentation of Reading at Risk, and panel discussion

WHERE:

New York Public Library
South Court Auditorium
Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street

WHEN:

Thursday, July 8, 2004 from 10:00 a.m. to noon

NOTE: Please enter through the 42nd Street door, just west of Fifth Avenue and use the elevator or stairs to go up one level to the South Court Auditorium. A mult box will be provided, but television crews are advised to bring additional lighting.

For more information, contact the NEA Office of Communications at 202-682-5570.

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506