My parents read aloud with friends, sometimes passages from articles for discussion, sometimes short stories or poetry. These readings rose spontaneously from a topic in the news or a piece of writing that someone of them wanted to share. There seemed to be time then for casual meetings with conversation and storytelling. Later, living near a small town, ‘neighboring’ or ‘visiting’ was the phrase for summer afternoon tea under a shade tree, or winter cocoa by a wood stove, quiet talk while the children played nearby.

I miss those casual gatherings that now seem displaced by more formal appointments, arranged events in public settings. These too can have rewards, sometimes even a sense of shared appreciation. Yet, the particular intimacies of sharing time merely to share connecting may be lost in our daily hustle.

Kate DiCamillo, as discussed in this blog on March 20, 2024, promotes reading aloud for refining one’s own writing. She also encourages reading to adults. “It is an act of love to read to somebody…You feel cocooned, almost. It’s kind of like everybody puts down their defenses and you’re together in the story.” Maryanne Wolf, a scholar at UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies says “it (reading aloud) triggers our ability to go beyond ourselves and to reach into the thoughts and feelings of others. We are transmitting emotions, we are transmitting affection.” New York Times, First Section, February 23, 2024.

I now hope to build excuses for little readings. On my next longish car trip with a friend or a visit to a patient in the hospital, I plan to take along something to read aloud, a favorite poem or a short, short story, in an effort to recapture that old-fashioned idea of making time to share, a little “act of love” to quote Kate DiCamillo.