The Sherminator

My man Sherman Alexie (Expat's Files passim) has taken a chunk out of the Kindle, calling it elitist at this year's BEA (for those not in the book business, that's Book Expo America, not some organisation dedicated to the memory of my personal favourite Golden Girl Bea Arthur). Like anything that mentions the book trade's 500-pound gorilla Amazon, this has set the blogosphere alight. There is a good interview with Alexie on Edward Champion's blog where he clarifies his remarks.

I don't agree with all he says, but his central point that a device that costs $249 is exclusionary is spot-on. As a kid who grew up dirt poor on the reservation, I think Alexie could probably relate to the technology gap. There is a constant chatter about how wonderful the digital age is for the book industry. But it this mostly propelled by the self-perpetuating onanism of the blogosphere: because it is new, because it is fresh, and because I am writing about it, it must be on everyone's minds.

But the connected seem to forget how many are not connected. Between 60-70% of British people use the internet at home (reports vary). That is a lot of people, but that means least 18 million or so that don't, and most of them are obviously from poor backgrounds. The internet in and of itself is, if not elitist, exclusionary.

Another point that Alexie makes is the lack of emotional connection with an e-reader. I love my iPhone, and have tried reading e-books on it. But there is something that is just not right about it, something that makes me not engage with the text as I do a print book. Over the weekend I was reading a tiny, battered copy of Sentimental Journey that I purchased from Oxfam, which someone named James had given to Susan for her birthday in 1953 according to the inscription in the inside cover. When I put it down, I was able to keep my place with a bookmark a friend had made me for Christmas. The emotional connection is not just about the text.

This doesn't make me a Luddite. The digital age is a visual age and it just doesn't suit a black and white only e-book reader. I have read, and enjoyed, a number of graphic novels on the iPhone. And I do see a future for an enhanced e-book with music and moving images that will be seen and addition to the book.