What happened, St. Paul? Was it the move of Graywolf Press from your side of the river over to Minneapolis? Or have you been distracted by the Winter Carnival, Crashed Ice, and the Wild's wild mood swings, and you just forgot to go to the library?
Whatever the case, while Minneapolis has maintained its solid No. 3 position (after Washington, D.C., and Seattle) as one of the country's most literate cities, St. Paul has slipped from No. 7--where it was for two years--down to No. 12.
The annual rankings have been calibrated every year since 2003 by Dr. John Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University. St. Paul has always been in the top ten, albeit sometimes by the skin of its teeth. (In 2005, it was ranked No. 9.5, tied with Cincinnati.)
Miller uses a variety of variables--number of bookstores, newspaper readership, library use, and others--to come up with his list. The 2011 top ten are: Washington, D.C.; Seattle; Minneapolis; Atlanta; Boston; Pittsburgh; Cincinnati; St. Louis; San Francisco; and Denver.
Come on, St. Paul! You have a year to get back in the game.
