unlocking the novel
a guide to modernism and postmodernism

Reader's autobiography: Kathryn Thompson

My entire life has revolved around reading. As I have ventured through life, books have accompanied me the entire time. Words and their stories have appealed to me since I first became aware of them. I consider reading an investigation. Books enable the reader to explore stories and lives that would not otherwise be available to him or her.

My affair with reading began when MTV hit television. I was five years old and I could not stand the fact that I could not read the video information. My brother and sister worked with me all summer until I could read the song, artist and even the album. At this point, I began to use reading as a source of investigation. After I conquered the art of reading, I exploded into the world of words. Stories became another life. Reading constantly led my imagination through new adventures as I investigated new horizons.

My investigations became more elaborate as I grew older. I  sought out bigger adventures. Picture books were traded in for Judy Bloom. Judy Bloom was then put on the shelves for Stephen King. When Stephen King was retired, I took on the works of Hermann Hesse and John Steinbeck. No matter what was being read, my love for the unknown remained. With each novel or short story I consumed; I was able to learn about an experience my life could not provide.

I am still busy investigating. I know now that I have gained and earned so much valuable information throughout my affair with reading. Each story builds a piece of me that will remain long after I am finished the words. As I explore the world through words, I will continue to seek out the new and different. Words will always provide me with an outlet to every realm of the imagination. I could dive into the words of William Faulkner or Toni Morrison and embrace every discovery.