The overt goal of the residency is to foster a space for people to experience literature more thoughtfully. The underlying goal is to make them want to smash their phones with a sledgehammer.

“We do so much reading now, but it’s mostly reading for information at best. At best. At worst it’s like a pure little shot of dopamine before moving to the next post,” said Steven Shafer, Perelandra’s current reader-in-residence. “It is almost the exact opposite of what I’ve gotten to experience here.”

Yeah ok, no. Like I get trying to get more people to read books. I’m a reader and it’s a lot different than doom scrolling or whatever. But you’re never going to get people to not value their phones. We have a computer in our pocket that cannot be replicated by even the Library of Alexandria.