Reading for Pleasure
Two years ago my then six year old took what turned out to be a permanent break from the daily fifteen minute Easyread lessons he’d been doing for six months to catch up on his reading. When he started, he couldn’t and wouldn’t read.
At the weekend he asked to go to the library where he chose a book by his favourite author. The following two mornings he read a chapter to himself before breakfast instead of watching TV.
Tonight he read a few pages out loud to me at bedtime, just to show off.
I’ve noticed a certain anti-intellectualism going around this country, man …
I was in Nashville, Tennessee last week and after the show I went to a Waffle House, right, and I’m sitting there and I’m eating and I’m reading a book. I don’t know anyone, I’m alone.
I’m eating, and I’m reading a book. And this waitress walks over to me: “(tut tut tut) What you readin’ for?”
Wow, I’ve never been asked that! Not what am I reading, but what am I reading FOR?
Well, goddamnit, ya stumped me!
Why do I read?
I guess I read for a lot of reasons and the main one is so I don’t end up being a fucking waffle waitress …
Then this trucker in the next booth gets up, stands over me and goes, “Well, looks like we’ve got ourselves a reader…