In this episode we tackle two big topics that feel especially timely: a sobering new essay arguing that the age of reading is ending, and a deep dive into Homer’s Odyssey—sparked by Christopher Nolan’s recently released epic film adaptation.
“The Age of Reading Is Over”
Nicole opens with Rose Horowitch’s lengthy essay from the August 2026 issue of The Atlantic (sometimes titled or referred to in coverage as “The End of Reading Is Here” or “The Age of Reading Is Over”).
Key points we discussed:
- Fewer than half of American adults reported reading a book of any kind in 2022; only 38% read a novel or short story.
- Average attention span on screens has plummeted—from about 2.5 minutes two decades ago to roughly 47 seconds more recently.
- People are actually reading more words overall (emails, texts, captions, social media), but in shorter, more repetitive bursts with narrower vocabulary. Sustained, rich, long-form reading is declining.
- A particularly striking statistic: only 2% of American adults report reading to a child on any given day.
- The essay frames literacy itself as a relatively recent historical anomaly and suggests we may be shifting into a “post-literate” culture shaped by short-form digital content and influencer culture.
Nicole highlights the so-called “Mississippi Miracle,” where a sustained, phonics-based overhaul of reading instruction dramatically improved outcomes, and similar investments in literacy coaches in places like California. The conversation circles back to a practical truth the hosts have discussed before: reading gets easier and more enjoyable the more you do it, but it requires deliberate time and effort in a distracted world.
Our takeaway is clear and encouraging: reading isn’t over if we don’t let it be. Make time for books, read to the children in your life, and treat your brain like a muscle that needs exercise.
Homer, The Odyssey, and Why It Still Matters
Sara then shifts to The Odyssey, capitalizing on the surge of interest from Christopher Nolan’s 2026 film (starring Matt Damon as Odysseus). Library copies of the poem have been flying off the shelves.
She provides accessible background drawn from library databases:
- Homer is the traditional name attached to the Iliad and Odyssey, two foundational Greek epic poems from around the early 8th century BCE. Scholars debate whether a single historical Homer existed; the name may simply mean something like “one who fits a song together.” The poems grew out of a long oral tradition of epic performance.
- The Odyssey focuses on Odysseus’s ten-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War—to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. The poet compresses the final year of that voyage into about 40 days while flashing back to earlier adventures. Odysseus is a survivor who relies on cunning and eloquence rather than pure tragic heroism.
- The poem offers vivid portraits of family life, non-aristocratic characters, and the gods (who mirror human emotions but never face death). Immortality for mortals comes only through heroic song.
- Sicilian connections get a local shout-out from Sal (Cyclops country, the Strait of Messina, the Island of the Sun, and more). The hosts also nod to modern adaptations such as O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Practical advice for readers: translations matter a great deal. Different versions range from more literal/poetic to more accessible or interpretive (including some modern ones that have drawn scholarly debate). Hoopla is an excellent no-hold option for digital copies. Companion volumes, student casebooks with historical documents and maps, and library databases can provide helpful context—much as they do for Shakespeare.
Watch the movie if it pulls you in visually, then pick up a translation and use your brain. Reading the original (in a good modern English version) rewards the effort.
