A literacy conference last year included a panel of authors of children’s books. The panel was attended by teachers — classroom and reading — and a smattering of school librarians. When the authors spoke, they one by one showed their books to the audience, which included quite a few heads nodding seriously, as if they were actually being told some truths about literacy and not being shown goods to buy. Well, that was shocking. One expects more from an audience than to be so easily hawked to. Really now, teachers, librarians? “Buy my book” is an okay thing to say to you? And writers! Doesn’t your profession, your talent, your expertise give you a single insight on the problems of literacy in our schools unrelated to your wallet?

Once upon a time there was a person who viewed the neighbor-to-neighbor relationship as transactional: “I have invited you to dinner, now you should buy a bag of my home-made granola.” I suppose that somewhere along the way these particular authors had been instructed that a panel on literacy was a good huckstering opportunity. Did their publishers tell them that, or had their parents raised them to view others as potential customers?

Must remember to bring books and a calculator to the next funeral reception.