Power of the printed page

The

Gabrielle Gruszynski

This semester, I decided to sign up for two literature classes at the University of Georgia: Honors Introduction to Creative Writing and American Literature from 1914 to the Present.

With that being said, I now have a stack of 13 unopened paperback books, looming over my desk. For some readers, being required to read these books may seem both daunting and nauseating. For English and journalism majors such as myself, those 13 books are equivocal to pure heaven.

Needless to say, I have always been an ardent reader. From a young age, I remember sitting on the edge of my rose-quilted bed with my mom. As I’d rub my fingers along the stitching, she’d read me stories of faroff Greek and Egyptian myths, mysteries of Nancy Drew and the comical plights of Amelia Bedelia.

I developed a fascination with reading as I aged. The thick paper, the aged scent, the worn-out spines, everything about throwing yourself into a book is intoxicating. Calling myself an advocate for reading physical copies would be an understatement.

Yet, being in the age of technology, there seems to be an increasing amount of readers opting for e-books or audiobooks. True, these book formats are more cost-efficient, environmentally-friendly and accessible to busy readers. However, I still find the lack of interest in physical books disheartening.

In my advocacy for physical books, I tend to shop frequently at local bookstores in Athens. Avid Bookshop, located in the heart of Five Points, seems to be a favorite store among fervent Athens readers.

Being an obvious proponent of the physical book, Avid’s mission is to remain both a “fiercely independent bookstore” and “a work in progress.” I wanted to investigate not only Avid itself but also the potential benefits of reading physical books.

“The [Avid] brick and mortar was founded by Janet Geddis in 2011, but she worked for years, probably five years before that to get it open,” said Rachel Watkins, operations and events director at Avid. “Finally, it was able to open in October of 2011. It was always a general-interest bookstore that would hold events, have book clubs [and] story hour for children.”

Avid re-located in 2015 to 1662 Lumpkin Street, right in between The Local 706 and Condor Chocolates. Indeed, this expansion has made them closer to UGA and a community always hungry to learn more.With this in mind, Avid curates book sections tailored toward its community. Watkins claims that these sections are “always evolving,” pending the current trends in reading.

Sections such as fiction, mind, body and spirit, art and literature, young adult, biography and memoir and history and current events are just some of the many genres that Avid currently offers.

“Everything on the shelves is there for a reason,” said Watkins. “We don’t always get the latest and the greatest that’s going to

Reading list

Recommendations from Avid

Bookshop’s Rachel Watkins

A Little Devil in America

Hanif Abdurraqib

A nonfiction narrative that focuses on the lives of famous Black performers/ entertainers.

Illustrated Black History George McCalman

A coffee table book collection of 145 original portraits and descriptions that celebrate Black pioneers.

My Monticello

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson Johnson’s debut fiction piece contains five short stories and one novella describing the hallmarks of the Black experience.

The Secret Lives of Church

Ladies Deesha Philyaw Another fiction piece containing a collection of short stories about salacious Southern gossip and the Black Southern Baptist community.

Anaya Mark Junior Majors: Communication sciences and disorders, Spanish Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. “As people who are creating more spaces for those who are not represented before us, we are never going to tell you that you cannot be a part of [the NPHC].”

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Print books seem to have a feel that most readers love. You can hold the book, turn the pages and physically feel the paper. There’s something really special about that.

Beyond aesthetics, there are many benefits to reading physical books, such as memory retention and information absorption. Readers of print books usually remember more of a book’s plot than readers of e-books do. Readers of physical books also scored higher on their immersion into the book and overall understanding in an earlier study.

Beyond this, the potential distractions from reading are eliminated with a physical book. Links, scrolling, social media and advertisements all draw away from reading e-books because they limit the reader’s focus. However, with the absence of this in a print book, readers are more likely to remember and retain what they have read. This is especially true with younger readers who are experienced with electronics.

Of course, there are arguments made for the e-book as well. E-books usually cost less than print books do. But, despite the price gap, print books allow for an entire experience — one that cannot completely be replaced when opting for e-books.

E-books may also be better for our environment but probably not to the extent that you would think.

“If you are reading books on an e-reader, you’re consuming less paper,” said Watkins. “However, devices [that] books are read on are hard to be recycled or [cannot be] at all. You [can] recycle a book.”

The print book versus e-book debate is ongoing and futile amongst devoted readers. Print books amplify the joy of reading, in their scent, their feel and most importantly, in the experiences you learn from them. As Watkins puts it, “reading books can change one person, one family, one classroom or one community. It’s a privilege to be able to put books in the hands of readers.”

Editor’s note: Gabrielle Gruszynski is a freshman majoring in English and journalism.

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Afrolatinas reflexionan sobre el Mes de la Historia Negra

“No sabía que era negra hasta que vine a este país”, dijo Malena Mitchell, exalumna afrolatina de la Universidad de Georgia, miembra de la hermandad Delta Sigma Theta e inmigrante de Colombia.

Mitchell se mudó a los Estados Unidos con su familia cuando tenía 11 años. Aunque nació en Panamá, ella reclama a Colombia como su hogar. Allí, la identidad racial es tratada de manera diferente que en los Estados Unidos, una realidad que pronto se vio obligada a enfrentar.

“Al crecer, no creo que me llamara negra o latina. Todos éramos colombianos”, dijo Mitchell. “Pero una vez que vine aquí, me di cuenta, ‘Ah, soy negra’”.

La raza a menudo se clasifica en formularios y documentos como categorías distintas, encapsuladas sucintamente en cuadros ordenados. Pero para los estudiantes afrolatinos, con herencia tanto africana como latina, el tema de la identidad no es tan sencillo.

“Estoy caminando sobre cáscaras de huevo cuando se trata de mi identidad racial”, dijo Alani Rojas, estudiante de primer año de psicología involucrada en la Asociación de Estudiantes Hispanos de UGA. “Muchas personas piensan que soy negra cuando me ven por primera vez. No sé si debería tomar eso. No sé si puedo tomarlo como algo mío”.

Hannah Maldonado-Matos, estudiante de primer año de ciencias políticas y miembra de la Asociación de Estudiantes Hispanos, también ha experimentado identidades conflictivas.

“Cuando era más joven, me sentía muy fuera de lugar porque [pensaría] que no soy lo suficientemente blanca para los blancos, no soy lo suficientemente negra para los negros”, dijo Maldonado-Matos. “A veces te hace cuestionar tu propia identidad… porque estás tan concentrado en lo que los demás piensan de ti”.

Racheal Fulford, una candidata de Ph.D. en UGA que enseña Introducción a la Literatura y Culturas Latinx, aborda específicamente la subrepresentación de las experiencias afrolatinx en su clase. Fulford usa el mes de febrero como una oportunidad para pasar una lupa sobre la identidad y cultura afrolatina.

“No siento que en general durante el Mes de la Historia Negra hablemos sobre los diferentes componentes de la negritud en los Estados Unidos”, dijo Fulford. “Incluso en mi campo, muchas veces hay una desconexión entre la negritud y los latinos, y muchos de mis estudiantes llegan sin darse cuenta de que muchos latinos también son negros”.

Los estudiantes afrolatinos tienen diferentes puntos de vista sobre cómo participar en las celebraciones del Mes de la Historia Negra.

“Siento que la gente necesita estar abierta a la idea de que puedes ser tantas cosas y lucir tan diferente”, dijo Maldonado-Matos. “¿Por qué no estamos celebrando a los afrolatinos? ¿Por qué no hacemos saber que los afrolatinos también son negros?”

Otros sienten que el Mes de la Historia Negra tiene un propósito diferente.

“¿Creo que [la cultura afrolatina] necesita tener un papel más importante? No realmente”, dijo Mitchell. “Diría que no, porque para mí, lo que celebra el Mes de la Historia Negra es la historia de los negros estadounidenses. [El] movimiento de derechos civiles, inventores negros, todo negro, pero de Estados Unidos”.

Para los estudiantes afrolatinos, durante febrero y durante todo el año, la identidad racial es tanto una combinación de herencias como una experiencia totalmente única, mucho más compleja que una simple casilla marcada.

“Creo que, especialmente las personas que no son afrolatinas o de raza mixta, nunca entenderán realmente la lucha de sentirse en el medio y no saber realmente a dónde perteneces. Pero debes estar abierto a la idea de entender”, dijo Maldonado-Matos.

— Traducido por Ana Chirinos

Afro-Latinas reflect on Black History

Month

“I didn’t know I was Black until I came to this country,” said Malena Mitchell, an Afro-Latina University of Georgia alumni, member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and immigrant from Colombia. Mitchell moved to the United States with her family when she was 11 years old. Though she was born in Panama, she claims Colombia as her home. There, racial identity is treated differently than in the United States, a reality she was soon forced to face.

“Growing up, I don’t think I called myself Black or Latina. We were just all Colombians,” Mitchell said. “But once I came here, I realized, ‘Oh, I’m Black.’”

Race is often categorized on forms and documents as distinct categories, succinctly encapsulated in neat boxes. But for Afro-Latino students, with both African and Latino heritage, the topic of identity is not as cut-and-dry.

“I walk on eggshells when it comes to my racial identity,” said Alani Rojas, a freshman psychology major involved in UGA’s Hispanic Student Association. “So many people think that I’m Black when they first see me. I don’t know if I should take that. I don’t know if I can take it as my own thing.”

Hannah Maldonado-Matos, a freshman political science major and member of the Hispanic Student Association, has also experienced conflicting identities.

“When I was younger, I felt very out of place because [I’d think] I’m not white enough for the white people, I’m not Black enough for the Black people,” Maldonado-Matos said. “It kind of makes you question your own identity at times … because you’re so focused on what everyone else thinks of you.”

Racheal Fulford, a Ph.D. candidate at UGA who teaches Introduction to Latinx Literature and Cultures, specifically addresses the underrepresentation of Afro-Latinx experiences in her class. Fulford uses the month of February as an opportunity to pass a magnifying glass over Afro-Latino identity and culture.

“I don’t feel like as a whole during Black History Month we talk about different components of Blackness in the United States,” Fulford said. “Even in my field, a lot of times there’s a disconnect between Blackness and Latinos, and a lot of my students come in not realizing that many Latinos are also Black.”

Afro-Latino students have varying viewpoints on how to participate in Black History Month celebrations.

“I feel like people need to be open to the idea that you can be so many things and look so different,” Maldonado-Matos said. “Why are we not celebrating Afro-Latinos? Why are we not making it known that Afro-Latinos are also Black?”

Others feel Black History Month has a different purpose.

“Do I think that [Afro-Latino culture] needs to have a bigger role? Not really,” Mitchell said. “I would say no, because to me, what Black History Month celebrates is American Black history. [The] civil rights movement, Black inventors, everything Black, but from America.” For Afro-Latino students, during February and year-round, racial identity is both a combination of heritages and an entirely unique experience, much more complex than a simple checked box.

“I think that especially people that are not Afro-Latino or mixed race, they’ll never really understand the struggle of feeling in between and not really knowing where you belong. But you should be open to the idea of understanding,” Maldonado-Matos said.

— Article by Felix Scheyer