Love this reflective piece! I read to focus, mindful . . . on one thing. I read to clear my mind of all writing projects and dive into a story, a dialogue, a character in a book. It's a meditative thing without closing my eyes and breathing deep!
I recall discussing a daily reading habit about this time last year. I have kept my commitment to just 15 minutes a day. Often I do more. But never less. With a new baby in the house it’s sometimes broken into 3 spurts of 5 minutes. But I love what happens when I can get 15 or more minutes at once. My body relaxes, my breathing slows. I love reading because I know I can (I hope) do it for the rest of my life and give myself this sort of tandem reality to step into. It’s grounding and foundational. And often I learn things. But that's not why I do it.
Reading with a new baby to boot is definitely a challenge. That's great you're adjusting to spurts of 5 minutes. Reading is one of those things I never thought I'd be challenged to do because it was such a part of the fabric of my life, and such a priority. I'm still aiming for 30 minutes a day, but then my kids are now out of the house.
I followed the link to the 10 years ago essay. I loved it. Found it thought provoking. It had me casting my mind back 10 years, trying to remember a whole different world.
Oh, thanks so much for reading, Joan! I once tried to remember all of my birthdays, and I'd forgotten more than I could remember, of course. I'm going to start writing them all down now. Or ... I need to get back to regular journaling, just as I need to get back to reading.
Wishing you the gentleness of reading. I leave my phone outside the bedroom or in the bathroom. That helps immensely. Also reading only what I truly want to read. I just love this post Grant!
I love this article so much! There's been way too many discussions about the monetary value of reading books and poetry. And with so many liberal arts programs throughout the US being underfunded, or gotten rid of entirely, I think it's good that we all reiterate and underline why reading is so important. Sometimes, we all just need a little gentleness.
Just read "American Hustle" and, like Joan, loved it. It was thought provoking in different ways--a little sad, a little nostalgic and bittersweet, a little funny, very loving of your family of origin. The picture too added so much to that sense of love. I found myself studying it as if it were a photo of people I knew, as I suppose I do, now, after reading the essay.
Thanks so much for reading, Marianna. I really appreciate your kind and thoughtful words. I was hesitant to share it, actually, but I want to write more personal essays, and your words encourage me.
What a terrific post, Grant. Thank you so much for your sources and your own ways of putting things. You’ve helped me get at what matters to me when I read.
I’ve often felt an underlying anxiety that, despite being quite disciplined with maintaining a ‘reading hygiene’, I am not great with remembering what actually happened in the books I’ve read. Sometimes, I’ve forgotten that I’ve even read a certain book!
It felt like I had wasted time, not to mention money.
So, when you shared Nunez’s reason for reading, I felt like something I never could describe had just been defined and validated.
Thank you for bringing Nunez’s philosophy into my world and helping me understand why I read.
Love this reflective piece! I read to focus, mindful . . . on one thing. I read to clear my mind of all writing projects and dive into a story, a dialogue, a character in a book. It's a meditative thing without closing my eyes and breathing deep!
I think we should elevate reading time to be the equivalent of meditation or prayer.
love this description!
I recall discussing a daily reading habit about this time last year. I have kept my commitment to just 15 minutes a day. Often I do more. But never less. With a new baby in the house it’s sometimes broken into 3 spurts of 5 minutes. But I love what happens when I can get 15 or more minutes at once. My body relaxes, my breathing slows. I love reading because I know I can (I hope) do it for the rest of my life and give myself this sort of tandem reality to step into. It’s grounding and foundational. And often I learn things. But that's not why I do it.
Reading with a new baby to boot is definitely a challenge. That's great you're adjusting to spurts of 5 minutes. Reading is one of those things I never thought I'd be challenged to do because it was such a part of the fabric of my life, and such a priority. I'm still aiming for 30 minutes a day, but then my kids are now out of the house.
I followed the link to the 10 years ago essay. I loved it. Found it thought provoking. It had me casting my mind back 10 years, trying to remember a whole different world.
Oh, thanks so much for reading, Joan! I once tried to remember all of my birthdays, and I'd forgotten more than I could remember, of course. I'm going to start writing them all down now. Or ... I need to get back to regular journaling, just as I need to get back to reading.
“Reading hygiene” love that. :)
Wishing you the gentleness of reading. I leave my phone outside the bedroom or in the bathroom. That helps immensely. Also reading only what I truly want to read. I just love this post Grant!
I need to leave my phone behind more often. I agree about reading selection: life is too short not to read what captivates you.
I love this article so much! There's been way too many discussions about the monetary value of reading books and poetry. And with so many liberal arts programs throughout the US being underfunded, or gotten rid of entirely, I think it's good that we all reiterate and underline why reading is so important. Sometimes, we all just need a little gentleness.
I loved Nunez’s book The Friend. I was working in a bookstore when it came out; I recommended it to so many people.
A thing I love about Nunez’s writing is that she takes care of the heavy lifting. The book had such depth, but it was easy to read. No mean feat.
It's amazing how she writes with such depth, but it's easy to read. So effortless. I agree: it's no mean feat.
Just read "American Hustle" and, like Joan, loved it. It was thought provoking in different ways--a little sad, a little nostalgic and bittersweet, a little funny, very loving of your family of origin. The picture too added so much to that sense of love. I found myself studying it as if it were a photo of people I knew, as I suppose I do, now, after reading the essay.
Thanks so much for reading, Marianna. I really appreciate your kind and thoughtful words. I was hesitant to share it, actually, but I want to write more personal essays, and your words encourage me.
What a terrific post, Grant. Thank you so much for your sources and your own ways of putting things. You’ve helped me get at what matters to me when I read.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Amanda—and for reading!
I’ve often felt an underlying anxiety that, despite being quite disciplined with maintaining a ‘reading hygiene’, I am not great with remembering what actually happened in the books I’ve read. Sometimes, I’ve forgotten that I’ve even read a certain book!
It felt like I had wasted time, not to mention money.
So, when you shared Nunez’s reason for reading, I felt like something I never could describe had just been defined and validated.
Thank you for bringing Nunez’s philosophy into my world and helping me understand why I read.