Speaking at the annual pre-Commencement Fellows Breakfast on May 18, writer James Carroll pondered the uncertain future of books – the cornerstone of all great universities – in an age when much of the contents of the Library of Congress can be downloaded to an iPod.

“Reading the written word allows us to contemplate and spend time with what we have taken in,” the award-winning novelist and journalist told a crowd of about 75 people at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. “ Reading makes us and keeps us human.”

Carroll traced the history of the book and wondered whether technological advances may make reading less important to future generations.

“What happens if through these ingenious machines we become a people who has forgotten to read?” said Carroll, who serves on the advisory board of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life at Brandeis. “What else is the university other than a book come alive?”

Following the Fellows Breakfast, Carroll received an honorary doctorate of humane letters during Brandeis’s Commencement exercises. He was recognized for his writings on politics, religion, and culture, which have challenged and inspired readers around the world.

Carroll was joined at the breakfast by fellow honorary-degree recipients William Schneider ’66, senior political analyst at CNN; Stephen Kay, a former senior director at Goldman Sachs and member and past chair of the Brandeis Board of Trustees; and Karen Uhlenbeck, PhD ’68, a pioneering mathematician at the University of Texas-Austin.

The breakfast was hosted by Trustee Paul Zlotoff ’72, chair of the Board of Fellows. During his remarks, Zlotoff recognized the contributions of his predecessors, Rosalind (Fuchsberg) ’59 and Richard Kaufman ’57.