First of all, this presentation is important because it gets at the essence of literature. I want to argue that literature is a category unto itself, and should not be treated the way we might treat, say, science or theology. It exists to tell stories and share characters; to teach distinct ideas, yes, but also to provide models---friends, in some cases, enemies in others. This cannot be done effectively in snippets. Secondly, there seems to be a rise in the use of excerpts in the greater classical community.