Slate Daily Feed How To! | Start Reading Books Again (Encore)
Jul 1, 2025
Maryanne Wolf, director of UCLA’s Center For Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice, shares her insights on reigniting a passion for reading. She discusses the reading brain and how modern distractions affect our connection to literature. Personal experiences of grief highlight the challenges in returning to books. Wolf suggests immersing oneself in engaging mysteries and prioritizing pleasure in reading. With practical strategies, she encourages rekindling joy in reading, even amidst life's chaos.
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Kate's Dyslexia and Reading Journey
- Kate describes her experience learning to read late due to dyslexia and how she found joy in Agatha Christie novels during illness.
- She joined a book club but often missed reading deadlines yet still enjoyed the communal and escapist aspects of reading.
Reading as Brain's Neural Network
- Reading is a culturally learned skill dependent on brain plasticity and connecting multiple complex brain functions.
- Deep reading combines perception, sound, meaning, and emotion, creating an immersive intellectual experience.
Deep Reading Transcends Self
- Deep reading involves 'leaving the self behind,' allowing readers to be transported and empathize deeply.
- This immersive state fosters analysis and connection with characters beyond surface-level comprehension.
