Who Killed The Printed Book? A Song To The Tune Of Dylan 's 'Who Killed Davey Moore? ' Poem by Jay Mandeville

Who Killed The Printed Book? A Song To The Tune Of Dylan 's 'Who Killed Davey Moore? '

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Who killed the printed book?
Why and where for the answer look?

Not we, say the publishers,
who tried their best to in-ter-est
the reading public in their wares.
Who printed wielders of the pen,
and sought to draw their readers in,
to bookstores that displayed their volumes,
puffed and praised in reviewers' columns.
Who printed more than needed ever,
'We just recycle them, aren't we clever? '

Who killed the printed book?
Why and where for the answer look?

Not we, say the chain bookstores,
who for lack of sales must close their doors.
The customers come to sample authors,
use online stores to place their orders.
And who needs all these paper fossils,
to dust and care for, too much hassle.
A lot of clutter is all they'll be.
Anyway, you can read 'em on the web for free...

Who killed the printed book?
Why and where for the answer look?

Not we, say the authors who
have no one left to see them through.
Who sweat, and burn the midnight oil,
make Art that lives, from human toil.
If 10-year-old minds will not read it,
forget any chance mass-media needs it,
to market for the privileged income
of kids who buy what peer groups say is fun.
The past is valueless, that's the ticket.
Who peruses the classics but an egghead idiot?

Who killed the printed book?
Why and where for the answer look?

Not we, say electric media users,
we get more info than we've got any use for.
Great literature takes up too much space,
just one more thing we'll have to erase.
Literacy doesn't mean no more
than an instant message to the grocery store.
Words are just an empty game,
I've got 100's of toys more exciting than them.
I'm too busy now to understand,
what happened long ago in some ancient land.
Hearin' 'bout the past just makes me yawn,
I'd rather just live in the present from now on...

Who killed the printed book?
Why and where for the answer look?

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Jay Mandeville

Jay Mandeville

Kansas City, Missouri USA
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