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Stayin’ Alive

In a world that is becoming more and more focused on the digital side of life, the joys of opening up a book, hurriedly flipping a page to get to the next chapter, or even walking into a cozy bookstore are all aspects that are thought to waver in comparison to the sleek and thin computer. How are books, their contents, and artworks of all kinds staking their claim amidst all of this?

One simple answer includes the use of a platform that people love, hate, and talk about constantly: social media. Social media, no matter one’s opinion on it, cannot be denied the fact that it quickly sends information to large audiences within seconds. Publishing companies, booksellers, and museums are aware of this, and their social media accounts reflect the pursuit of getting literature and art into people’s news feeds–and inherently into their lives as well.

Here are some examples of a few standout social media pages from the Humanities world that I can’t get enough of:

  • @SparkNotes on Twitter. While SparkNotes.com is a great resource to supplement (and not to replace) readings, their Twitter feed is full of the greatest jokes, memes, and everything in-between. Come here for some of the funniest literary jokes imaginable!
  • @BNBuzz on Twitter. Barnes & Noble, the largest book retailer in America, showcases on their social medias quotes, fun facts, and sketches from recognizable and infamous authors. One of my favorite features that they have includes “On This Day,” which displays a famous literary quote on the author’s birthday.
  • @metmuseum on Instagram. Similar to B&N, The Metropolitan Museum of Art also posts several #onthisday pictures/videos, but something that also gets people to interact with The Met’s artwork collection occurs on their Stories. Each week, The Met uses the Stories function as a guessing game; they test their followers with true/false questions about a piece in a certain collection being featured that week. Simple in design, this is an interaction that both teaches and entertains followers.

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“I approach painting in the same way one approaches drawing; that is, it’s direct. I don’t work from drawings.”—Jackson Pollock⁣⁣ ⁣ Jackson Pollock was born on this day in 1912. A legendary figure in the history of modern art, Pollock was a leading practitioner of gesture painting, a branch of the avant-garde movement known as Abstract Expressionism. In 1947, he developed a radical new technique of pouring and dripping thinned paint onto raw canvas laid on the ground. Visit “Epic Abstraction: Pollock to Herrera” and see a gallery featuring highlights from The Met collection of Pollock’s work. #MetEpicAbstraction #JacksonPollock #TheMet⁣⁣ ____⁣⁣ Artwork: Jackson Pollock (American, 1912–1956). Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950. Enamel on canvas. © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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All of these accounts, while being similar in their field of study, incorporate different tactics to reign in followers to the literature and art side of the Internet. Whether through memes, quotes, or games, one thing is for certain: books and art won’t be going anywhere soon.