TIME.com: Columnist -- Lance Morrow -- The Tale of the Woman Who Had Never Read a Book

"Privately, you either consider books to be sacred or you do not. I do. I don't mean all particular books. Not everyone can write books. Too many people write books who should not do so. Many books are junk. Some are evil. I am talking about the idea of books, the magic transmission, which is itself sacred. Language is the profound code and work of creation with which we approach divinity. I realize there are other, newer, superseding codes, but I cling to the traditional mysteries. In the beginning was the word."