privilege and reading

[Michelle Harmon]

>I balk at the idea that "Pynchon," . . .  or any author, really, 
>is accessible only to a privileged--or underprivileged--few.

I agree - and disagree.  

Never having been to college and never having been materially privileged,
I'd like to say that GOD no, you don't need to be one of "them" to read
tough books.  However, nine times out of ten, the material goods go with the
intellectual goods, and if you've got the material and intellectual goods,
then you've probably gone to college.   

This has me curious enough to ask around my non-educated,
non-materially-privileged friends and acquaintances about their reading
habits.  

custom-

-Michelle