A reintroduction and some favorite backlist posts
A quick hello from my sunny vacation
Hey, readers!
I’m on a little vacation with my family this weekend and while I fully intended to put together a newsletter during my daughter’s nap yesterday, I read by the pool instead. Oops! It was delightful, and I have no regrets, especially since naps have been, well, let’s just say inconsistent at best.
Since I didn’t have time to write full reviews and because there are quite a few new subscribers (thanks for the shoutouts,
!), I thought I’d instead use today to offer a brief (re)introduction to myself and FictionMatters.I’ve been sharing books on the internet for 10 years now. I started the FictionMatters Instagram account as part of my final project while finish my MA in Literature and Cultural Studies at Georgetown in 2014. In response to the rollout of Common Core State Standards, my project focused on exploring what readers learn from reading fiction—in other words, why fiction matters. I kept the IG account going even after concluding the grad school project as a way to more deeply engage with my personal reading while I started my career as a high school English teacher.
While I still enjoy sharing what I read on Instagram, I was craving a space to write longer pieces and to reflect more on how I read. This newsletter began almost four years ago out of that desire. I’ve always love writing, not so much as a way to share my opinion, but as a way to figure out what I think about a topic.
More recently, I launched my Tuesday series, Reading in Public as a free component of this newsletter. This where I write about and think through how I read. Reading is such an innate part of who I am and, of course, a big part of my day to day life and career. I have loved writing this series as an opportunity to take a step back and really think about what is happening in my brain and soul while I read a book. You can find the entire backlog of Reading in Public posts here, and I’ve linked to some of my favorites below.
Today, I’d love to return to that initial question that launched FictionMatters. So, tell me below: why do you read fiction? And if you have any Reading in Public topics or questions you’d be interested in seeing here, please let me know! I always love reading and responding to your ideas!
For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or responding directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!
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Happy reading!
Sara
I read fiction to explore lives and worlds beyond my own, to escape, to imagine other lives I may have lived, to swoon, and to make myself think when it’s so easy to let myself mindlessly consume bits of media flowing past me. Also, your vacation looks delightful!
Sunshine and books…sounds perfect!