Oh I love this! Simple and absolutely true. The bodily experience of reading is one that doesn’t get much attention I don’t think, but should be considered more!
This reminded me of a Bill Hicks standup routine. He said he was reading a book in a waffle house, and the waitress came up to him and said "Hey mister, what are you reading for?" - not what was he reading, but what was he reading FOR? And Hicks' response was......well, you got me. Don't know.
Reading is telepathy. I always think of 'Middlemarch' (for some reason), that a lady in mid-19th century England had a thought, she made some black squiggly marks on a piece of paper, and then that thought is magically and silently transported into my brain, 150 years later. It's amazing, it's voodoo, it's one of those supernatural things that's so commonplace we never stop and think about how weird and unlikely it is.
How funny, I’m not familiar with Bill Hicks but will now have to look up that routine. Glad to know I’m not the only one who became speechless!
I love your description of reading as telepathy, because when you break it all down to its most basic elements, the process absolutely is miraculous. How lucky we are to be the only creatures who can do this!
Don’t rely on the 60+ set for info on societal trends. What do we know? Maybe the non-readers are just louder or better at algorithm-ing their way to the top of the feed(s).
I an still doing thus because it is who I am. I would sooner stop breathing than stop reading. And without reading I would have little reason to continue to breathe.
i wonder about the onset age of reading & how it relates to tv watching habits. i feel like there would be so many/too many other variables to get good info, but i bet it's a significant factor
nonetheless, this piece is so fun: ty! i want to simmer on what you've written here!
oh, & i forwarded this pieces to my friend annette gendler who also has a substack. you two should collab.
Why thank you so much! 😊 Hmm that’s an interesting question about TV watching habits on reading…you’re probably right that there are too many factors to come to any solid conclusions, but my immediate thought is that there’s an inverse relationship—like, the earlier a child watches TV, the later they’d start reading. But I could be totally wrong!
And thanks a ton for sharing the essay! That means the world to me 💜
Started reading Enid Blyton 69ish years ago. Penguin modern classics were my university education from my teenage years onwards. Currently reading The Mill on the Floss.
Don’t know but I’ve always thought of non-readers as being somehow incomplete.
What a fantastic reading background! I have to agree about seeing non-readers as incomplete somehow, even if only because I can’t imagine not reading for myself. I hope you’re enjoying The Mill on the Floss!
Well, I left school at 15 and half, so had to keep my wit sharpened on the world's best reading matter. I am reaching the end of The Mill on the Floss. It's delightful. although hard to get into to start with, as was Middlemarch but both are well worth perservering. Neither of them is as accessible as Thomas Hardy, Zola, V. Hugo, my previous favourite 19th century authors. I think I should ideally alternate between old and modern classics in future. I never dared go any further back than the 19th century. Next up will be My Brilliant Friend (my daughter said it was a "page turner" rather sneeringly I thought), the final Julian Barnes and then Silas Marner. Do you enjoy the older classsics, Joan?
One of the many reasons I read so much – that I’ve been much more aware of in recent years – is ”I like how it makes my brain and my body feel”.
Oh I love this! Simple and absolutely true. The bodily experience of reading is one that doesn’t get much attention I don’t think, but should be considered more!
This reminded me of a Bill Hicks standup routine. He said he was reading a book in a waffle house, and the waitress came up to him and said "Hey mister, what are you reading for?" - not what was he reading, but what was he reading FOR? And Hicks' response was......well, you got me. Don't know.
Reading is telepathy. I always think of 'Middlemarch' (for some reason), that a lady in mid-19th century England had a thought, she made some black squiggly marks on a piece of paper, and then that thought is magically and silently transported into my brain, 150 years later. It's amazing, it's voodoo, it's one of those supernatural things that's so commonplace we never stop and think about how weird and unlikely it is.
How funny, I’m not familiar with Bill Hicks but will now have to look up that routine. Glad to know I’m not the only one who became speechless!
I love your description of reading as telepathy, because when you break it all down to its most basic elements, the process absolutely is miraculous. How lucky we are to be the only creatures who can do this!
Don’t rely on the 60+ set for info on societal trends. What do we know? Maybe the non-readers are just louder or better at algorithm-ing their way to the top of the feed(s).
Also, bonus points for being a lefty.
Haha! I suspect you’re right about non-readers being particularly loud, though that feels kind of ironic 😅
I an still doing thus because it is who I am. I would sooner stop breathing than stop reading. And without reading I would have little reason to continue to breathe.
I stand behind every word of this 💜
jo, this piece is 🔥
i wonder about the onset age of reading & how it relates to tv watching habits. i feel like there would be so many/too many other variables to get good info, but i bet it's a significant factor
nonetheless, this piece is so fun: ty! i want to simmer on what you've written here!
oh, & i forwarded this pieces to my friend annette gendler who also has a substack. you two should collab.
Why thank you so much! 😊 Hmm that’s an interesting question about TV watching habits on reading…you’re probably right that there are too many factors to come to any solid conclusions, but my immediate thought is that there’s an inverse relationship—like, the earlier a child watches TV, the later they’d start reading. But I could be totally wrong!
And thanks a ton for sharing the essay! That means the world to me 💜
jo, please check out annette gendler! i told her about you too. she is also a renaissance gal!
Started reading Enid Blyton 69ish years ago. Penguin modern classics were my university education from my teenage years onwards. Currently reading The Mill on the Floss.
Don’t know but I’ve always thought of non-readers as being somehow incomplete.
What a fantastic reading background! I have to agree about seeing non-readers as incomplete somehow, even if only because I can’t imagine not reading for myself. I hope you’re enjoying The Mill on the Floss!
Well, I left school at 15 and half, so had to keep my wit sharpened on the world's best reading matter. I am reaching the end of The Mill on the Floss. It's delightful. although hard to get into to start with, as was Middlemarch but both are well worth perservering. Neither of them is as accessible as Thomas Hardy, Zola, V. Hugo, my previous favourite 19th century authors. I think I should ideally alternate between old and modern classics in future. I never dared go any further back than the 19th century. Next up will be My Brilliant Friend (my daughter said it was a "page turner" rather sneeringly I thought), the final Julian Barnes and then Silas Marner. Do you enjoy the older classsics, Joan?