Abayomi Animashaun, On Reading

"Reading is a blessed act, that has the potential of leading an individual toward (re) examining the foundations of his imagination. And, in some cases, forcing him to pull out the stoppers. Shake loose the dikes. So the waters from one region of his mind gather. Flow. And rush into others… Until that individual breaks, then settles upon a knowing which feels infinitely beyond himself. For me, anyway, this is why Rilke is so essential. And, Elytis. And, Emerson. And, Gibran. Because they remind me that, more than 'finishing' a book, the business of reading is one of continued exposure and meaning."

{Abayomi Animashaun's collection of poems, The Giving Of Pears (Black Lawrence Press), won the Hudson Prize in 2008. His writing has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the PEN/Joyce Osterweil Prize, and he was a recipient of a grant from the International Center for Writing and Translation. Please visit his website here for more information.}