Are they kidding?!!

I was browsing CNN and I like to pop in at their Career Builder feature from time to time for advice on the working life. This week, one of the articles covers careers in little-known fields. That’s an interesting topic, for the casual seeker. But the premise of the article is that it’s difficult to find a job in this economy and that many are competing for the same positions.

The solution, in this competitive market — consider work in a lesser-known field. The premise is still ok. Then I read jobs #1 and #2 on the list:

1. Accent-reduction Specialist
2. Casting Director

Are they kidding?!! Here are the requirements: for the Accent-reduction Specialist, all you need is a Masters or PhD in speech language pathology. Nice advice for a twenty-something in college, but are they really serious? Oh, I think I’ll apply for Accent-reduction Specialist because I forgot I have this advanced degree in speech pathology?

The casting director doesn’t need an advanced degree (although a background in the Arts, English or Film is helpful). What’s the primary requirement? Experience. Yes, most casting directors start out as interns. Again, great advice for a college grad who has mom & dad’s support while getting a footing, but not for a laid off worker trying to break away from the pack.

I know it’s difficult to write substantive articles on careers in this economy, but all I could think of were my former co-workers, several still looking for employment. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’m trying to laugh.

Given the list, and the long haul to achieve the requirements, I’m surprised Novelist wasn’t on the list.

The Dark Side

My brother-in-law let it slip ever-so-casually that he has gone over to the Dark Side.

He bought a Kindle. (I’m not linking to it because I have to think about it every time I hit amazon.com, and that happens several times a week.) The Kindle, he bragged, allows him to carry 1500 books with him wherever he goes.

I don’t want to carry 1500 books with me everywhere, three is usually more than enough. I don’t want to lay on the beach with a plastic case that scrolls words, nor do I want to snuggle in front of the fire with one. I already stare at a screen for more hours a day than is good for the human body. Yeah, I know, different technology, better on the eyes, bla bla bla.

In fairness to my brother-in-law, he uses public transportation for a very long commute. If I was more ecologically friendly, I would take the train, but I’m selfish — I like the solitude of my (self-justification alert) small car. He also noted that he reads a lot of non-fiction, heavy books that leave him wanting a frequent change of pace.

The Kindle is the only piece of technology that makes me feel like a Luddite. I love books. I’m writing a book, I’ve written several novels learning how to write a novel. I plan on writing more books. love the tactile experience of books. I have unique bookshelves scattered throughout my home, some with glass doors, a poet’s bookshelf with iron legs — similar to a step ladder, and shelves that I need a step ladder to reach. I have a bookshelf devoted to the books I haven’t yet read.

I like paper and soft covers and turning pages. I like dog-earring corners and  marking sections that move and inspire me. My husband loves books, and owns more than I do. We support amazon.com and independent bookstores and chain bookstores. We hang out in bookstores. Going to the bookstore is a date. We joke that we’ll build a shack of books to live in if we become unemployed.

The Kindle is thin, it’s cool, it’s environmentally friendly, I think.

In some weird, undefinable, irrational way, it feels like a triumph of technology over literature: the dark side.