Obama Stresses Importance of Reading, Writing

During a series of question and answers following his speech in Fairfax, Virginia, last Thursday, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama made some comments about writing and reading that have been getting a lot of attention on blogs such as GalleyCat and MotherReader. MSNBC reported that Obama stressed the importance of good writing skills in the job market by saying, "These days kids know how to text message...but when you are applying for a job they will not be asking if you know how to text message."

Pam Coughlin posted a report from the event on the blog MotherReader in which she described Obama as being surprised when a woman in the audience asked him what he would say to young writers, because it wasn't a question he'd ever been asked. "He talked about how he kept a journal and how it was important for teaching him not only how to write but also how to think," Coughlin writes. "But my favorite part was when he said, 'Over the course of four years I made time to read all of the Harry Potter books out loud to my daughters. If I can do that and run for president, then you can find time to read to your kids. That's some of the most special time you have with your children.'"