Reader Interviews

By Chelsea Le
“For me, reading is a break from reality.”
My roommate, Laurel Lancaster, has a different reality than mine. Born and raised in London,
England, her experiences have shaped her into the reader she is today, something I wanted to
explore with her. When asked about her reading genres, Laurel enjoys fantasy fiction novels that
allow her to travel with the characters, leaving her home in North London to a world beyond her
imagination. She is also well-versed in classic novels, in which she learns from and compares the
reflection of our world today with the time periods of the past. Her love of reading continues to
this day, yet she struggles to find time to balance this hobby while adjusting to college life in the
states and adapting to American culture.
Surprisingly in England, Laurel notes that the education system is lax on reading; she knows
people who have not properly read a book since they were seven years old and pride themselves
on it. She emphasizes, however, that it is important for children to have more reading when they
are younger, especially books of interest. When asked about how reading has changed, Laurel
notes that she enjoys reading books on a digital screen because of its practicality. Since we are
always on a screen, she considers it “killing two birds with one stone”.
Laurel’s favorite quote is from Red Queen, “The truth is what I make it, I could set the world on
fire and call it rain.” She keeps a page of her favorite quotes on her phone, the mark of a true
reader.
“...I’ve always been really interested in perspective.”
Moira Horan, a fellow classmate and friendly face on campus, appreciates the ability to see
through different lenses in a book. For her, reading is the ability to process information, making
connections and critically examining a text at various levels of intensity. When asked about her
personal methodology when reading, Moira elaborates that she changes her style depending on
the reason. For example, when reading a text for class, she takes time to consider all aspects of
the text. When reading for pleasure, Moira is more likely to peruse and adopt a quicker pace
without stopping to think as much.
An enjoyable hobby, Moira’s go-to genre is autobiographies. Being able to witness first-person
accounts allows her to learn so much more, and she immerses herself into the text. Moira makes
it a priority to read “fun” pieces of writing, such as opinion columns, to broaden her repertoire of
text. When asked about the role of reading in younger children, Moira notes the importance of
encouraging budding readers to develop their stamina and skills.
“Reading is a lifelong activity, not a race.” Truer words were never spoken, and Moira left me
with a renewed sense of vigor to continue my pursuit of reading.
Conducting these interviews, I drafted several questions which included: What does reading
mean to you? What is your typical reading style? Do you enjoy reading or is it a task you must
do? What is your go-to genre of reading? What does it mean to read well? Having experience
interviewing people before, I found it interesting to see myself mirrored in the answers. Reading
is such a fundamental part of education, and being able to witness and speak to others about the
styles that they have developed has made me realize that there is no conventional reader. We are
all readers.