ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, May 31, 1996 TAG: 9605310016
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: friday something
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER
There's a movement planned for next week, but there's no political or social issue involved. Rather than a sit-in, it's a sit-down. So, grab some printed matter and head for the quietest spot in the house. The 10th anniversary of National Bathroom Reading Week begins Wednesday.
No question, many of us seek refuge behind those closed restroom doors - no one looking over our shoulders, no telephone (unless you're one of those quirky people with one installed next to the toilet paper holder) and no children or teen-agers demanding money or the use of the car until we choose to emerge.
The celebration is the brainchild of Jack Kreismer, owner of Red-Letter Press, and author, coincidentally, of The Bathroom Library, including such titles as, ``The Bathroom Sports Almanac,'' ``The Bathroom Golf Almanac,'' ``The Bathroom Trivia Book'' - you get the idea. There's even a ``Bathroom Guest Book'' with places for entering name, date and purpose of visit.
Reading in the bathroom may actually lead to a better-educated population. Two-thirds of the people who have post-graduate degrees read while answering the call of nature. (Does that mean that smarter people read in the bathroom or that reading in the bathroom makes you smarter?)
Reading while on the ``porcelain throne'' is bound to be more interesting than staring at the ceiling, counting the tiles or thinking about the possibility of snakes inhabiting plumbing fixtures.
And instead of people pounding on the door yelling, ``Have you fallen in?'' or ``What are you doing in there?'' how much more genteel to hear: ``Read any good books lately?''
LENGTH: Short : 40 linesby CNB