You’re never too old for story time
A few years ago, my youngest sister, Heather, suffered from migraines for a month. She usually spent the day as a teacher, but at night she retreated to a dark room so that the light would not aggravate her headache. To distract her from the fear and pain, I offered to read to her over the speaker while she closed her eyes.
Every night until her migraine finally went away, I chose something: a short story by Jane Gardam, an essay by Samantha Irby. Heather said my voice was soothing and reminded her of our childhood when I read her stories (and our five-year age difference seemed much greater).
I found myself looking forward to adult story time as much as Heather.
When we think of reading aloud, we often associate it with children, says Kate DiCamillo, the author of “Because of Winn-Dixie,” which won the Newbery Medal for children’s books, and the upcoming “Ferris.” But adults need to hear stories told out loud, too, she said.
At book events, DiCamillo encourages the audience to read to other adults. “It’s an act of love to read to someone,” DiCamillo told me. ‘You almost feel in a cocoon. It’s a bit like everyone puts down their defenses and you’re in the story together.
Many of us learned as children to enjoy being read to, ‘under the crook of an arm, where ideal reading begins’ Maryanne Wolf, researcher and scholar at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, and author of “Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World.”
In adulthood, “we may not put each other under a physical arm, but we put each other under an emotional arm,” said Dr. Wolf.
And research shows that reading aloud can also benefit the reader: that is also possible improve memory, cognitive function, focus And mood.
But sometimes adults have fallen out of the practice, said Dr. Wolf. Here’s how to get into it more easily.
Start with something short.
Choose a person you feel comfortable with, DiCamillo suggested, and start with a short passage, such as an essay or poem. (She recommended every volume from the anthology “Poem a Day: A Wide Range of Classic and Modern Poems.”)
If you’re ready to try your hand at short stories, “Binocular Vision,” a collection by Edith Pearlman, “is a spectacular read,” DiCamillo said. She also recommended “Peace Like a River,” a chapter book by Leif Enger.
Find every opportunity to read.
You can read a passage to your partner before bed, DiCamillo said, or to your family over breakfast. ‘So every morning the book is on the kitchen table. Everyone’s in the kitchen and you’re just reading a chapter,” she said.
Take a book with you when you visit someone in the hospital or nursing home, she said. If that person is in pain or has difficulty concentrating, she added, try children’s literature.
Focus on your connection instead of getting every word right.
Typical, said Dr. Wolf, we think of reading “as this cognitive and linguistic activity.” But it also activates empathy areas in our brains “that activate our ability to go beyond ourselves and reach into the thoughts and feelings of others,” she said. When we read, she added, “we convey emotions, we convey affection.”
And while reading aloud can make some of us self-conscious, DiCamillo said to remind yourself that this isn’t a test, so don’t worry about nailing every word.
Reading, she said, is a profound way to connect with someone. “You offer yourself,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Need more inspiration? I asked two novelists about their favorite selections to read.
Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author of the upcoming book “The American Daughters,” chose Deesha Philyaw’s short story “Peach Cobbler,” which appears in her collection “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.”
“Philyaw is our reigning modern master of the short story,” Ruffin said.
Celeste Ng, the author of “Our Missing Hearts,” recommended “Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones.
“When I heard that my husband had never heard of one of my favorite childhood books, I dug out my old copy,” Ng said. “We took turns reading it to each other for a week, and I’m happy to say that it holds up beautifully.”
Reconsider your position on red wine.
Thirty years ago, research suggested that a glass or two of red wine could benefit the heart. Since then, many more studies have confirmed that red wine does not protect against heart disease.
Read the article: How red wine lost its health halo
Remember the presidential physical fitness test? Here’s how it holds up.
If you attended an American public school between 1966 and 2012, you may have memories of a mile run, sit-ups, pull-ups or push-ups, a sit-and-reach, and a shuttle run. The test is still useful, experts say, with some adjustments.
Read the article: Can you pass the presidential physical fitness test today?
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