Literature was my least favorite subject growing up. It felt like the teachers (and later, professors) had some elevated sense of self that required them to be dismissive of any analysis that was different than their own. While discussing the tired and antiquated The Scarlet Letter, the woman would cock her head when I spoke, letting me know she «didn’t follow» and «not quite sure I understand.» Weird flex, but okay. The low caliber of English literature teachers led me to pursue other related courses that ended up serving me much better. Magical Realism was a favorite, and it happily restored my faith in the written word – or at least the study of it. 

These days, I don’t get around to reading many books. It’s taken me nearly a year to get a third of the way through Roberto Bolano’s 2666. Most of the time I spend reading happens on the internet when I’m reading memes. Fortunately, there are plenty of memes about literature and reading, so at least we can enjoy the best of both worlds instead of feeling like total dunces.