That is the downtown library in America's most literate city, Seattle.Seattle has been ranked #1 most literate a number of times. This time the criteria was based on the number of bookstores, Internet use, percentage of high school or higher graduates and newspaper circulation.
I am currently reading in Fort Worth, Texas, which is the #52 most literate city in America.
There are two things I always notice when I'm in Washington, after spending time in Texas.
One is that the people in the Pacific Northwest look deflated, like the air has been let out of them.
The other is I'll run into smart people where I'd never run into smart people in Texas. Like at a grocery checkout. In Washington it will be a well-paid, union member, adult doing the checking.
I remember being in Tacoma and the checkout person at the Metro store telling me about the trip she'd just taken to South America, her tale well told, with plenty of poly-syllabic words, properly pronounced.
I recently had a meeting with the Mayor of Fort Worth, educated by Texas schools. I had to explain to him what a Conflict of Interest was.
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