Rob’s Reader of the Week: Rick Seifert
May 25, 2009 by Rob
Filed under Rob's Reader of the Week
Rob’s Intro: This week it may look like I’m featuring a typewriter as my Reader of the Week but thankfully it’s just someone who’s really passionate about them. That ‘someone’ is Rick Seifert and I’ve got to admit that up until quite recently I didn’t really know Rick that well. He was introduced to me by former Reader of the Week Steve Brannon as an ideal candidate for this feature, and after spending some time reading through Rick’s personal blog – The Red Electric, I couldn’t agree with Steve more.
Rick is hugely articulate, a writer who really knows how to put words on a page, and to put them on well. As you will see, Rick’s reading preferences are perhaps not as ‘mainstream’ as most of the readers featured on RobAroundBooks, but then again Rick is a journalist so his reading is varied and wide. That for me (as I’m sure it is for everyone who reads this feature), makes him the perfect recipient of this week’s Rob’s Reader of the Week title. Let’s waste no more time – take it away please Rick:
I’m a journalist/commentator (now almost exclusively on-line — vis. HillsdaleNews.org), a part-time writing/journalism/media literacy teacher at the local community college, a community activist (I’m addicted to founding community organizations as you will see), and a Quaker (non-pastoral, unprogrammed type). I’m also involved in the media literacy movement (a founder of Media Think), and I “archive” donated typewriters (I’m a recovering typewriter collector)
1. Favourite Genre? I’m a non-fiction guy. I like books that try to figure out what’s happening and what might happen — often in light of what HAS happened, ie. History.
2. Favourite Book? This is like asking which child is my favorite, but I’ll go for: The late Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death. In fact, anything by Postman.
3. Why do you love reading so much? It allows reflection, sharing and prompts thinking. The printed word engages and is permanent. It is the repository of our wisdom (such as it is).
4. Favourite reading place? The Oregon Coast before or after a good Scrabble game.
5. How BIG is your reading addiction? I’m not really addicted, but print is my medium of choice. I have approximately 600 books. Each year I help organize a community book sale (which I founded). Folks donate books over five Sunday’s at our farmers market (which I also helped found). Then, on the last Sunday in July, we have a huge used book sale. Proceeds go to our community foundation (which I also founded). I note all the founding because it leaves no time for me to be addicted to reading.
6. How do you normally add books to your collection? See above — community book sale. Visits to Powell’s “City of Books” here in Portland and some garage sales. Also Annie Bloom’s Books in nearby Multnomah Village.
7. How do you decide what to read? Increasingly, I’ve been rereading. Scanning my bookshelves for unread books crying out to me to be read.
8. Ebooks – love or hate? Have never tried to read an ebook so I can’t comment. I worry that eventually they will cut into contributions and traffic to our used book sale, What’s a “used” ebook?
9. Has reading inspired you to do any serious writing yourself? Many of the posts on my blog, The Red Electric, are inspired by something I’ve read — or reread.
10. What single piece of advice (or tip) would you give to fellow readers? Take your choice:
- Support independent bookstores.
- Reread.
- Make references to books in conversations and in e-mail.
- Note that good reading, like good writing, encourages good thinking.
- Read to children.
Rick, thank you for a wonderful interview, and on behalf of all of the readers here at RobAroundBooks, I wish you continued success with everything you write.
So that was Rick Seifert. What a guy eh? And remember you can always catch up with Rick at his blog, The Red Electric.
So who’ve we got reposing in the glow of the ‘booklight’ next week? Well it’s a real book blogging mogul, someone I’m hugely excited about featuring. Yep folks it’s none other than Stewart McAbney, the ravenous bibliophile behind the booklit blog and the World Literature Forum. Be excited. Be very excited!
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Rob, a self-confessed bibliophile, is without any hope of rehabilitation. He gets unnaturally excited over anything book-shaped, and if book sniffing were a crime then he would have been locked up years ago (which wouldn't bother him in the slightest provided his cell were lined with books)
