{"type":"link","asset_type":"article","version":"1.0","cache_age":3600,"provider_name":"CANVAS Arts","provider_url":"https:\/\/artscanvas.org","title":"Literary Arts Fund created to rekindle a love for reading","publication_date":"January 12, 2026","summary":"According to a recent study, reading for pleasure has fallen by 40% in the last 20 years, continuing a long-running downward trend. By many measures, reading skills for both students and adults continue to fall. Jeffrey Brown spoke with Elizabeth Alexander of the Mellon Foundation about a new effort to boost the world of words. It's part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.","author_name":"By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/cdn.artscanvas.org\/static\/2026\/01\/1eb2593163c13b0807ffffc53ebdacda-wordsworth-1024x686.jpg","thumbnail_height":686,"thumbnail_width":1024}