"Read at whim!"

The (late) American poet, Randall Jarrall is quite well known for his quote of, "Read at whim! Read at whim!" A man after my own heart, he was also well known for saying that adults can only understand literature if (and only if) they can imagine how children read. Hard to qualify this, but I can see what he was getting at. And it may be one of the reasons that I LOVED seeing all the little children in my care, during my teaching career, find enjoyment in books. It may also be relevant when I observe my own obsession and fascination with the need to read to small (very small) children...and how it is something that MUST continue as the child grows. It's not all to do with the child learning to read words, but for the child to appreciate literature...doesn't have to be 'high brow'....and for the child to be able to use his/her imagination in such a way that reading gives him/her pleasure.  This is something that he/she will keep for life and will help him/her THROUGH life.

Despite me 'pontificating' about literature, I have to admit (once more) that I am currenly engaged in reading not 'true' literature, but 'life writing' in the form of memoirs.
I have finished reading "For the Love of Julie" and can now report that, until I reached the last few chapters, I was unaware that the author, Ann Ming (Julie's mother) was the person who, using her persistence and tireless campaigning, managed to have the 800-year-old 'double jeopardy' rule overturned in the U.K. (It took her 17 years to achieve this -  finally also finding justice -  as the killer of her daughter was jailed for life).