Reading is Critical for Creativity. Just Ask Neil Gaiman.

On 14 October 2013, author Neil Gaiman gave a lecture (link to the transcript) for The Reading Agency in London. In it, he discusses the importance of reading and libraries and how reading, especially for pleasure, enhances our lives and even brings about positive economic benefits.

Benefits for the individual person include fostering creativity and innovation, a greater propensity for empathy, and enhanced lifelong learning. By reading things we aren’t required to read, we let our minds wander, wonder, and consider. What is it like to live in a different place, a different kind of life, to encounter adversity like during the Holocaust, or to be from another ethnic or cultural group? In reading, we can gain skills and knowledge that we might otherwise never have encountered or considered.

Benefits for society include a workforce with more creativity and innovation. Gaiman notes that China had their first party-approved science fiction and fantasy convention in 2007. Before this, the official stance on science fiction had been disapproval and discouragement. However, when officials went to the U.S. to see how companies like Google and Apple were able to have such creative, productive workforces, they found that the individuals working there repeatedly indicated that they had read science fiction as kids. Reading scifi had encouraged them to imagine new things and allowed their creativity to blossom.

Gaiman notes that when looking at incarceration rates, the prison industry noticed that they could predict very accurately how many cells would be needed 15 years from then by looking at the percentage of 10 and 11 year-olds who couldn’t read and certainly couldn’t read for pleasure. This statement does NOT seem to be true. Also see here. A lot of information online seems to reference the quotes, but I have yet to see reports or other sources from which these statements have been pulled. The sites that have such statements seem to be using the “quotes” because they’ve seen them on other sites. This is one way in which I dislike how the Internet can rapidly spread information, producing urban legends. No one seems to have a reference or primary source as a basis for these comments, that I have seen at least.

A relationship does seem to exist between literacy rates and incarceration, but that doesn’t mean that one causes the other. There certainly be a causal relationship, but I haven’t (yet) come across studies that seem to find evidence for one. Just because things rise and fall together doesn’t mean that affecting one will necessarily affect the other. Kids who have parents in jail and live in environments that expose them to violence from an early age may be more likely to pursue violent lifestyles themselves, and they may also not have the parental support to do well in school. Those are two things that may come from having parents in jail, but while helping kids learn to read may reduce the chances that they will later be involved in criminal activity, that doesn’t seem to be certain. It is certainly possible that by encouraging us to imagine how good things may be, we may also be less likely to resort to crime. If you come across any studies that seem to determine cause instead of just correlation, please let me know, and I’ll update this article.

Gaiman’s comments are backed up by scientific research, and I’m including notes at the bottom of this post if you are interested in additional reading or evidence of the positive benefits of pleasure reading.

Like Fred Rogers, whom I noted in a previous post, Neil Gaiman is an advocate as well as a successful professional, and I really appreciate his work. His novels (a list is below) are entertaining and really stimulate readers in the ways that he notes in his lecture that he hopes to do and that encourage readers to keep thirsting for more. As a librarian, I love when people get hooked reading. When Harry Potter first came out, I heard some disparaging remarks about it, that it wasn’t “real” literature. Who cares if it is of the “literary quality” that a college professor might add to a required reading list? If it gets people reading, bring it on! I certainly don’t always read books of “substance.” I am guilty of reading trashy romance novels, silly vampire tales, and crime/mystery stories that would make real-life professionals in the field roll their eyes. Were they entertaining, though? Yes! Did I want to keep reading? Yup! I may even have learned a little something in the process. At the very least I stretched my vocabulary a bit and encountered phrases that I normally don’t.

If you’ve never read one of Neil Gaiman’s novels, I highly encourage you to try one. These are just some of his books. He’s quite prolific and writes books for adults and for children.

American Gods (The Tenth Anniversary Edition)

“Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she’s been killed in a terrible accident. Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible. He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming. And from that moment on, nothing will ever be the same…”

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

“This bewitching and harrowing tale of mystery and survival, and memory and magic, makes the impossible all too real…”

The Graveyard Book

“The unforgettable story of Nobody Owens, a living, breathing boy whose home is a graveyard, raised by a guardian who belongs neither to the mortal world nor the realm of the dead. Among the mausoleums and headstones of his home, Bod experiences things most mortals can barely imagine. But real, flesh-and-blood danger waits just outside the cemetery walls: the man who murdered the infant Bod’s family will not rest until he finds Nobody Owens and finishes the job he began many years ago.“

Blueberry Girl

“Nationally bestselling author Neil Gaiman wrote Blueberry Girl for a friend who was about to become the mother of a little girl. Here, he and beloved illustrator Charles Vess turn this deeply personal wish for a new daughter into a book that celebrates the glory of growing up: a perfect gift for girls embarking on all the journeys of life, for their parents, and for everyone who loves them.”

Coraline (Graphic Novel)

“When Coraline steps through a door in her family’s new house, she finds another house strangely similar to her own (only better). But, there’s another mother there and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.”

This posting cannot end without a note about something that Neil Gaiman said in his lecture: “Also, do not do what this author did when his 11-year-old daughter was into RL Stine, which is to go and get a copy of Stephen King’s Carrie, saying if you liked those you’ll love this! Holly read nothing but safe stories of settlers on prairies for the rest of her teenage years and still glares at me when Stephen King’s name is mentioned.” In terms of content, there is a HUGE difference between R.L. Stine’s works and Stephen King’s Carrie. I am amused.

Sources for additional reading on:

Reading and creativity:

• Boatright, Michael D. and Mark A. Faust. “Emerson, reading, and democracy: reading as engaged democratic citizenship.” Democracy & Education. 2013. Vol. 21, №1. Article 6.
• Cross, Jay. “Not Without Purpose.” T+D. June 2006. Vol. 60, Issue 6. p.42–45.
• Kelly, Kathryn E. and Lee B. Kneipp. “Reading for pleasure and creativity among college students.” College Student Journal. Dec 2009. Vol 43, №4. p.1137–1144.
• Starke, Kathryn. “Encouraging creativity in children.” Education Digest. Dec. 2012. Vol. 78, Issue 4. p.67–59.
• Wang, Amber Y. “Exploring the relationship of creative thinking to reading and writing.” Thinking Skills and Creativity. Apr. 2012. Vol. 7, №1. p. 38–47.

The relationship between reading and empathy:

• Aubry, Timothy. “Afghanistan meets the “Amazon”: Reading The Kite Runner in America.” PMLA. Jan. 2009. Vol. 124, №1. pp.25–43.
• Bal, P.M. and M. Veltkamp. “How does fiction reading influence empathy? An experimental investigation on the role of emotional transportation.” PLoS One. 2013. Vol. 8(1). p.e55341.
• Johnson, Dan R. et al. “Reading narrative fiction reduces Arab-Muslim prejudice and offers a safe haven from intergroup anxiety.” Social Cognition. Oct. 2013. Vol. 31, Issue 5. p. 578–598.
• Kuiken, Don et al. “Forms of self-implication in literary reading.” Poetics Today. Summer 2004. Vol. 25, №2 pp.171–203.

Reading and lifelong learning:

• Gouthro, Patricia and Susan Holloway. “Reclaiming the radical: using fiction to explore adult learning connected to citizenship.” Studies in the Education of Adults. Spring 2013. Vol. 45, Issue 1. p.41–56.
• Manning, Carrie et al. “Inspirational impetuous: lifelong learning.” SRATE Journal. Winter 2011–2012. Vol. 21, №1. p.11–17.
• Love, Douglas. “Lifelong learning: characteristics, skills, and activities for a business college curriculum.” Journal of Education for Business. May/June 2011. Vol. 86, Issue 3. p.155–162.

Reading and the workforce:

• Banovetz, James M. “Illinois adult literacy failing the workforce: alternative solution needed.” Policy Profiles. Aug. 2000.
• Conley, Mark W. and Antoinette Wise. “Comprehension for what? Preparing students for their meaningful future.” Theory into Practice. 2011. Vol. 50, Issue 2. p.93–99.
• Pearson, John. “Great leaders are readers: five lifelong learning principles for leaders and new team members.” Employment Relations Today. Fall 2008. Vol. 35, Issue 3. p.1–8.
• Percy, Katherine. “Improve results by taking literacy into account when developing diverse workforces.” Human Resources Magazine. June/July 2012. Vol. 17, Issue 2. p.12–13.

The link between reading and incarceration rates:

• Christie, Christine A. and Mitchell L. Yell. “Preventing youth incarceration through reading remediation: issues and solutions.” Reading & Writing Quarterly. Apr. 2008. Vol 24, №2. p.148–176.
• Greenberg, Elizabeth et al. “Literacy behind bars: results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy Prison Survey.” National Center for Education Statistics. May 2007. 170 pages.
• Hrabowski III, Freeman A. and Jeremy Robbi. “The benefits of correctional education.” Journal of Correctional Education. Sept. 2002. Vol. 53, Issue 3. p. 96–100.