Literature - good God y'all - what is it good for? Absolutely something.

November 3, 2014 1:55 PM

What is Literature for? [SLVimeo]
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome (6 comments total)

Cute. But nothing about literature as an alternative to psychoactive drug use?
posted by dontoine at 2:57 PM on November 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

Literature is thus far the best scientific study of the human condition (Milan Kundera, paraphrased).
posted by Pyrogenesis at 3:57 PM on November 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

Kind of the Martha Nussbaum view that through literature we refine our empathetic powers and expand our moral horizons...

The Solitary Vice: Against Reading is a pretty interesting take on some of the less reflective versions of "read cuz it's good for you." BoingBoing had a pretty good interview with Mikita Brottman
posted by batfish at 5:34 PM on November 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

This video made me realize that the only real reason that I read during high school and college was to have sex with interesting people.
posted by weewooweewoo at 9:39 PM on November 3, 2014

That was excellent. I loved the Gilliam-style animation.
posted by GrapeApiary at 5:21 AM on November 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

Great video! I'm sending it to my mom, who teaches AP literature. And speaking of moms, I thought it was funny when he showed the statue of Oedipus and casually said "slept with mum by mistake". Just another blunder in a series of human foibles.
posted by danabanana at 1:24 PM on November 4, 2014