EssayRooh

How does Birkerts’ discussion of reading and comprehension (in his broad sense) relate to our readings from last week (Cronon, Adler/Van Doren, Leopold)? For example, what are the implications of Birkerts’ insights on vertical and horizontal reading (and thinking) for Cronon’s understanding of liberal education? Birkerts mentions a “natural ecology of information and context”; how might this relate to Leopold’s concern for understanding connectedness in natural landscapes?

1, Birkerts begins by linking reading (at least the comprehension part) and thinking as both being invisible activities, but he sees the connections as going well beyond this superficial observation. He argues that the way we read is related to the way we think about the world. Using metaphors of time (deep vs momentary) and […]