SPPA Notable Quotable: Ruth Dickey, Executive Director, National Book Foundation
Photo by Libby Lewis
"While many of us bemoan the ways that screens shrink our attention spans and distract us from so many things, including reading, social media has also provided a wealth of opportunities for readers to find community with one another and to find out about books they may love." — Ruth Dickey, National Book Foundation
To mark the one-year anniversary of two NEA research reports about how Americans engaged with art during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NEA Office of Research & Analysis commissioned a series of thoughtful essays about the reports’ findings and implications—from the perspective of arts practitioners. The two surveys chronicle a historic phase of transition in our nation’s cultural life. These essays further explore these trends, discuss what they mean for the future of the arts and—most important of all—share practical insights from a cross-section of the nation’s arts and cultural leaders. In her essay “A Time of Hope and Worry: Unpacking the 2022 NEA Survey Results about Reading” National Book Foundation Executive Director Ruth Dickey writes about the challenges and bright spots regarding reading revealed by the latest data.
