Reading between lines: All Things Literary concludes

Senior writer shares goals, prepares to conclude column

So here we are — the final installment of All Things Literary. What began on an October evening in 2000 ends here on an overcast April evening in 2004. I remember starting this column and thinking in the back of my mind that if it stayed around for the next four years, how would it all end? Would it be with a proverbial bang, or should I take the more modernist route and end it with a whimper?

Of course, this was four years ago. And in all the time since the revolution, first was forged on a word processor (okay, maybe not a revolution, but certainly an uprising of sorts), I've forgotten all the gimmicks I had planned for these last bittersweet 600 words — the guest stars, behind-the-scenes secrets and earth-shattering surprises (“There's nothing I hate more than books and reading!”). All that has been whittled away by the progress of weeks, months and years, so that in the end all I have to say is what the past 88 columns have said.

I never expected All Things Literary to change anyone's life. The goal never was to subconsciously brainwash people foolish enough to linger on these words before hitting the sports section — however, a massive army of fervent readers under my total control is an inspiring thought. This column was meant for those in whom the passion for reading already had been instilled, and if I've interested, encouraged or affected them in any way, then I've succeeded with my job.

The point has been — and always will be — that there shouldn't be any stigma when it comes to reading. If we can have newspaper columns on sports, fashion, politics and popular culture, then why not on reading and literature? I still fear that a lot of readers lurk below the surface of collegiate society. They gather in little clusters with their books of choice but are afraid to come out into the light. They are afraid to proudly sit on that park bench or hillock, book in hand, and proclaim in an unspoken shout, “Yes, I enjoy reading!”

It's always a rare sight to see some of my peers reading in public, not for an impending assignment, but for the sheer and simple joy of engaging in discourse with another individual's thoughts and creativity. When I see that errant reader here or there, the sight always brings a smile to my face. I only can hope that once I've officially been ushered off this campus, diploma in tow, people will continue to take up the call of reading not as a chore, not as a task to be marked off a schedule after completion, but as unadulterated pleasure — the kind of pleasure one gets from, say, a night at the movies or a late night of binge drinking.

Alas, it's time to dim the lights and close up shop for the fourth and final time. Already, the monkeys are packing up their typewriters and preparing to shuffle off to new experiences. For those who've stuck with me since the beginning or just latched on for the final leg of my writing tour, for those who've voiced or e-mailed their support and appreciation — I extend to you a hearty thank you. A literary column is nothing without readers, and without all of you, none of this would have been enjoyable or profitable.

Whether with a bang or a whimper, the back cover of this book closes shut. But, as with doors, when one book closes, there remain multitudes waiting to be opened and explored. And so, taking a deep breath, we will open up the next book to come our way and continue reading.