The profound power of reading slowly to find connection
In short: Jacqueline Woodson explores how the physical act of slowing down while reading transforms the way we create and experience stories. She argues that deliberate attention is a tool for overcoming isolation.
Woodson describes her personal habit of running her finger beneath words, a practice she maintained even when discouraged. This tactile, slow engagement with text has shaped her identity as an author who creates books meant to be savored rather than rushed.
The core of her message is that literature serves a fundamental human purpose: it provides a way to feel less alone in the world. By slowing down, readers can travel to unexpected places and meet new people, ultimately seeking a way to feel they have changed the world before they leave it.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Jacqueline Woodson: What reading slowly taught me about writing
- Also: TED — Jacqueline Woodson: What reading slowly taught me about writing | TED · YouTube (embedded player only)
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