I appreciate what both Jo and WOW say. My literary upbringing was more ad hoc that WOW's - the books were there, no rhyme or reason or direction from my parents. But when someone gave my father a copy of "Fanny Hill" - remember, it was banned all over the shop until quite recently - I was allowed to read it. There was a reference to "Justine" by de Sade in editorial at the beginning and Dad got that for me, too. Required reading at high school was a doddle - I'd read all of the books, some of them several times.

I remember the Classic comics too - weren't they great?

I envy your kids, Jo. Down here in Godzone, kids get to see what's available. The Dunedin Public Art Gallery is better than many in New Zealand, if not the best, but of course they only have what is available. My memories of my first trip to Europe as a young adult mostly consist of hungover expeditions to art galleries, cathedrals, museums, yadda-yadda.

I don't think you can teach an interest in learning, but if you show it yourself, the kids, I would hope, will follow ... eventually!


The idiot also known as Capfka ...