Mark Maynard, On Reading

"Reading is the antidote to loneliness. Through the characters of prose, and via the persona of poetry, we come to understand ourselves. We know that our experiences -- whether sunk in dark thought and despair, or raised by moments of joy and promise -- are things that have been felt before, and will be felt again. Our unspoken thoughts and outward actions are mirrored, and often shown to us in a new light. Reading confirms our humanity."

{ Mark Maynard is the author of Grind and the Fiction Editor of the Meadow . Visit his website  here for more information.}