Kendra Grant Malone, On Reading

"I have dyslexia, so reading has always been very difficult for me. This has greatly influenced what kind of things I like to read. I favor poetry, because it is broken up and swift. I also favor writers that use simple language and small words to convey ideas. I don't like to tell people I'm dyslexic unless I have to because often people respond with pity or a lot of questions. How could a writer be dyslexic?! When people hear about disabilities of any kind all they see is a world of limits and they feel sad for you, like you are an incomplete version of themselves. I feel sorry for people who aren't dyslexic. They will never be moved they way I am moved by simplicity.

Often I hear people say things like 'If you want to be a good writer, read more.' Reading has become a tool for many writers to be better at writing, more informed, more skilled, or to help them out of a block. For me, writing has taught me to read."


{Kendra Grant Malone lives in Brooklyn with her cat Delores Grant Malone. Her first book of poetry will be available from Scrambler Books in September of 2010. You can read more of her work here.}