From: "Peter D. Tillman" Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written Subject: Re: You know you're a book addict when... Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 15:02:42 -0600 Organization: Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA) Lines: 62 Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: 0-2pool195-192.nas6.albuquerque1.nm.us.da.qwest.net (67.0.195.192) X-Trace: news.uni-berlin.de 1066770130 30724172 67.0.195.192 (16 [167184]) X-Orig-Path: tillman User-Agent: MT-NewsWatcher/3.2 (PPC Mac OS X) In article , Louann Miller wrote: > You know that you own books 2 and 3 of a trilogy, but you wind up > checking them out of the library anyway because you can't find your > personal copies even after 30 minutes of moving one full bookcase out > from in front of another full bookcase to scan spines. > > Louann, the chastened (but well-exercised). Self-test for literature abuse How many of these apply to you? 1. I have read fiction when I was depressed, or to cheer myself up. 2. I have gone on reading binges of an entire book or more in a day. 3. I read rapidly, often 'gulping' chapters. 4. I have sometimes read early in the morning, or before work. 5. I have hidden books in different places to sneak a chapter without being seen. 6. Sometimes I avoid friends or family obligations in order to read novels. 7. Sometimes I re-write film or television dialog as the characters speak. 8. I am unable to enjoy myself with others unless there is a book nearby. 9. At a party, I will often slip off unnoticed to read. 10. Reading has made me seek haunts and companions which I would otherwise avoid. 11. I have neglected personal hygiene or household chores until I had finished a novel. 12. I have spent money meant for necessities on books instead. 13. I have attempted to check out more library books than permitted. 14. Most of my friends are heavy fiction readers. 15. I have sometimes passed out from a night of heavy reading. 16. I have suffered 'blackouts' or memory loss from a bout of reading. 17. I have wept, become angry or irrational because of something I read. 18. I have sometimes wished I did not read so much. 19. Sometimes I think my fiction reading is out of control. LITERATURE ABUSE: AMERICA'S HIDDEN PROBLEM Once a relatively rare disorder, Literature Abuse, or LA, has risen to new levels due to the accessibility of higher education and increased college enrollment since the end of the Second World War. The number of literature abusers is currently at record levels. SOCIAL COSTS OF LITERARY ABUSE Abusers become withdrawn, uninterested in society or normal relationships. They fantasize, creating alternative worlds to occupy, to the neglect of friends and family. HEREDITY It has been established that heredity plays a considerable role in determining whether a person will become an abuser of literature. Most abusers have at least one parent who abused literature, often beginning at an early age and progressing into adulthood. Many spouses of an abuser become abusers themselves. Most important, remember, you are not alone. To seek help for yourself or someone you love, contact the nearest chapter of the American Literature Abuse Society, or look under ALAS in your telephone directory.