It is not possible to read by yourself. You did not learn to read by yourself, and you cannot read without a host of voices in your head. Even the author that you are reading is in conversation with others, whether or not s/he is aware of them or intends those influences. Harold Bloom made this argument in the negative many years ago. The anxiety of inf…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Scandal of Reading: Uncovering Holy Wisdom to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.