There’s been a bit of discussion about being a “public reader” during the last week or two, and not exactly in the sense of “being seen in public with a book,” which has never bothered me in the slightest. Amy posed some questions about being a public reader, and I thought I’d answer them here.
How do you balance your reading?
I think this could question could be interpreted many ways, but in this context, I’m not sure I do any more. As I said, I’ve always carried books around with me, and if people asked me about them, I’d respond, but since I tended to read books that most people weren’t familiar with, I didn’t always have a lot to say. For the past three years, I’ve pretty much talked about everything I read, here on this blog, whether or not it got much feedback.
What sort of decisions do you make in regards to being a public reader (whether or not you are a blogger)? I think it is affecting my reading choices to some extent. I might be less likely to read something I’d have a difficult time discussing. Considerations of “Am I really going to want to review this?” and “How might this affect the image I present of myself as a reader?” are creeping in, whether I want them to or not. On the other hand, the ongoing conversation with other public readers has broadened my reading horizons and opened my mind to reading different topics and genres.
How do you try to diversify your reading while ensuring that you are still reading the books you really want to be reading? I try not to read anything I don’t particularly want to read, regardless of how much people might be talking it up. While I may be open to reading more widely, I don’t think reading publicly has changed that sentiment.
Do you feel responsibility about the message the books you read convey? Somewhat, but I’ll admit that this is partly due to (shallow) concerns about how they might reflect on my “image” as a reader, and trying to protect myself from being judged negatively. But at the same time, I really don’t choose what I read in order to make a statement – it just has to interest me.
Do you think that this question in the end boils down to: Why do you read and why do you talk about what you read? I read because I can’t NOT read. I write about what I read so I’ll remember details about it. I talk about it because other people seem interested in what I’m reading, or because I know them well enough to think what I’m reading might interest them.
Amy asked another question as part of her “Faith ‘n’ Fiction Saturday” feature, but it seems to me that it’s both more generally applicable and more complex than it looks: Why read?
Why ask why? But since you did…
My first reaction to that question is this: “Because I can’t NOT read.” I learned to read on my own before I started kindergarten. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t feel the need to have reading material at hand. There have been periods when I read more magazines and fewer books. There was a stretch several years ago when I had to avoid my preferred variety of fiction for awhile (which led me to discover new favorites, particularly in nonfiction). These days, I don’t read books quite as quickly I used to, because some of my reading time has been reallocated to the Internet. But if I weren’t a reader, I don’t know who I would be.
However, I read for more concrete reasons, too.
I get to see how other people live. There are places I’ll never get the chance to visit and experiences I’ll never have, but I can see what they’re like through the eyes of someone who’s been there.
I get to learn how other people think. This is probably one of the things I love most about reading: the opportunity to get inside someone else’s head. On the page, the reader “gets” the thoughts and feelings of another person more than she probably ever will in real life. Stories in various forms have helped me understand so much about life and human nature, but a book is unique in its ability to show the inner life.
I get to meet people I’d never know in real life.
I read to learn things, to imagine things, and, sometimes, to get away from things for a while.
I love the fact that when I’m reading, it’s all there for me. I don’t have to feel uncomfortable asking questions or fear being brushed off. I’ve been granted access.
Why do you read?
For me, reading is an escape. It's also a way to learn new things. I learn even when I read fiction.
Kathy (Bermudaonion) – I learn an awful lot from fiction, actually. And it's usually pretty painless :-).
I love this post..fantastic. I'm going to link to it in my hubbub feature.
Serena – Thanks for the link! I usually read your blog via GReader, but I'll have to click through and check out your Hubbub links in the sidebar more often :-).