Teaching the Prime Minister to Read

You don’t get to be prime minister of Canada without knowing your ABC’s. However, since those who don’t read are little better off that those who can’t (at least according to Mark Twain), there is reason to believe that Canada’s prime minister is functionally illiterate. At least, Yann Martel (author of Life of Pi) thinks so. Allow me to explain.

On March 28, 2007, Canada’s government held a reception celebrating the fiftieth birthday of the Canada Council for the Arts. Fifty Canadian artists (including Martel) were invited, one for each of the Council’s fifty years. It was supposed to be a meeting between the representatives of Canada’s artists and the representatives of its people, but less than ten percent of the Parliament showed up and only one member of the cabinet—the one who had to be there.

The prime minister was there, too, but he didn’t speak. In fact, he scarcely looked up. His mind was on things far more urgent and significant than art. As Martel reflected on the whole affair, it troubled him that a national leader—or anyone, for that matter—is so busy that they can’t take time to enjoy beauty and reflect on life.

So Martel started a one-man crusade to teach the prime minister to read. Or rather, to remind him to take time to read. Every two weeks for the rest of the prime minister’s tenure, Martel plans to send him a new book with a letter explaining why someone as busy as a prime minister (or a grad student, or a mom . . .) would benefit from taking the time to read it.

The book list, complete with Martel's letters, can be seen here. Presumably, it will be updated every two weeks.