M. Suzanne Terry

Reading is fun, but it’s also my favorite way to learn. It has been especially helpful when it comes to recognizing systemic inequities that don’t necessarily have a negative effect on me personally. Those were the classes and books I was drawn to in college, and I am still drawn to them to this day. I read about injustice, and I get mad.

Anger is useful but not always sustainable (Allegedly. I can hold on to some anger.). If I hear something that shocks or offends me, my first response is to ask why. My second response is to read more on the subject so that my actions are not limited to my emotional reaction. For someone for whom emotions – both positive and negative – are usually overwhelming, this is an important step. I inform my opinion, changing it if that’s what the facts and evidence require, and thus I am better equipped to move forward.

There’s also something wonderful about reading a book that tells a story similar to your own. The New Yorker ran an article written by Michael Waters earlier this month on a book club that gained popularity through the underground and by word of mouth. People who were told they didn’t have a place in society sought out books that told their stories, and it helped spark the Gay Rights Movement. Despite censorship and other factors working against them, people were able to connect through books, and it changed (and continues to change) the world.

My Christmas gift to myself this year may be a Literati subscription. I love that leaders are using their influence to recommend readings to inspire others to make the world a better place. It’s like taking a perpetual humanities class, only a little more renegade.

What is the most important book you’ve read? What did you learn? How did it change you?

I’m writing about a hundred or so of my favorite books this month.