In the new edition of Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King waxes authorial about the myth that men don’t read.  I have posted a reprint of the article that you can link to on the top menu bar.  These articles tend to come and go fairly quickly, hence the unauthorized reprint. Sorry EW.

I, for one, know for a fact that men read.  A lot.  We just don’t make a big deal out of it.  I think the myth that men don’t read comes from sources like Oprah Winfrey, whose audience is predominantly female, and so when she picks a new title for her book selection, millions of women run out and buy it.  Men are a bit more choosy. And not so verbal about it.

The kiss of death for any book (for me, at least) is when someone else recommends it.  Fervently.  Same with movies and music.  Anything in which I already have a very strong idea of what I like.  My tastes tend not to match most others’.  However, I used to try and persuade friends and family to like the same things I did, but realized quickly that other people also have a fairly strong like of certain things.

That’s not to say that my mind is closed, that I won’t even consider a book or a song or a film outside my preferences.  In fact, I sometimes go in search of new things in order to expand my repertoire.  I don’t quite understand those who state with confidence, “I only like country music.”  That’s like saying something silly like, “I only like bread.”  (I’m not picking on country music, as I am an avid fan of the genre)

To get to my day-job, I ride the bus.  95% of the people, men and women, read on the trek to the city.  What else is there to do?  Usually it’s dark beyond the windows, so scenery-watching is out.  A few people sleep, but the majority read.  Novels, textbooks, newspapers, magazines…  I haven’t seen any “Kindles” yet, but certainly that can’t be far behind.  (Great idea, too pricey for me at the moment)

I know that my writer friends read.  Pretty voraciously, too.  So it’s hard to figure out where this myth comes from.  There are a couple people at work who claim to never read.  One’s a guy, the other a woman.  This is a concept so incredibly alien to me, it’s difficult to understand.  Is it a choice?  Are there mitigating factors that make them non-readers?

Whatever the reasons, I found Stephen King’s article informative and entertaining.  I hope you do too!