Twin Cities Can Read Good

Minneapolis has reclaimed its ranking as "America's Most Literate City" -- and St. Paul has jumped from 11th to 3rd.

Residents of St. Paul "show evidence of stable or increased literate behaviors, be it reading newspapers or magazines, going online, library use, or buying books from a local bookstore," according to researcher Jack Miller. In this, St. Paul bucks a disturbing nationwide trend -- it's the only city nationwide where Sunday newspaper circulation has increased per capita.

The rankings are based on several metrics within six categories, including "newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment and Internet resources." Last year's literacy champion, Seattle, slipped to second.

Verily, I think I speak for all us learned and sagacious denizens of these dual metropolises when I say: Suck it, Seattle. I hereby challenge Seattle Weekly's talented and debonair web editor, Chris Kornelis, to a read-off. Alternative weeklies at 10 paces.