Poet Dana Gioia shares the key to your teen’s success

When Dana Gioia was Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts under President George W. Bush, he found that the state of reading in America was in decline. Seven years later, there hasn’t been much improvement, he laments.

Gioia, a highly-regarded Catholic poet who teaches at the University of Southern California, says people are reading less and reading less well. That situation imperils not only their future career prospects but deprives young people of an inner life, as well.

Under Gioia’s chairmanship, the NEA issued two reports: Reading at Risk and To Read or Not to Read. He spoke with Aleteia about the importance of reading, especially among the young.

What can you say about reading in America today, in general?

Should we be concerned? Why does this matter?

This could explain a lot — this need for an inner life not being nourished. You sometimes sense an emptiness in young people today; perhaps it’s a factor in why there are more teen suicides or people acting out like the Newtown shooter, to cite some extreme examples, or inattentiveness at Mass, to cite a more common example.

How can parents get their children to read?

How can parents get started, particularly if they haven’t been in the habit of reading to their children, or if their older children are not in the habit of picking up a good book?

Are there any good reading lists available?