Jacqueline Woodson, the speaker of “What Reading Slowly Taught Me About Writing” emphasizes how the deeper she read, the more she read, and the slower she read, she grew aware that stories are meant to be understood slowly and savored. Woodson mentioned how as a writer, the intent is to connect with your reader, inspiring them and sparking a connection, as if you’re having a conversation and engaging with one another. Reading also allows readers to discover how to not feel alone in the world and to feel like we’ve changed it. I think this is when I especially felt a connection, along with when the speaker referred to reading as a way to connect to the past and future, and really understand it. In addition to reading to “get lost”, “forget the hard times we’re living in”, “to remember those who came before us”, and to “live through the hard times they faced”, I could relate to this part especially because I typically find myself reading expecting to understand history and the past, and to essentially connect with the writer in this respect. I always start reading a book completely assured and guaranteed that the writer is fluent in what the book is about, and hope to come out having truly comprehended and deciphered their words; helping me empathize with the writer and their experiences or their take on the matter. I think it’s really important for readers to connect with the writer and determine their purpose in writing, through their writing, as a means to further one’s understanding. Something as simple as researching the writer of a book I plan to read, prior to reading, would completely shift my outlook on them and possibly their intention for writing the book. I think this all contributes to the reason for reading that resonated with me, which I inadvertently came across through this TED Talk.