Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One Page Before Lights Out

This one is for readers everywhere (and, isn't that perfect that it's with a LIBRARY)! Join us as we chat with author Shannon Reed about her book, "Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One Page Before Lights Out". Why DO we read? What compels us to? What holds our attention? How many of us remember reading by a flashlight after hours? Shannon will have the scoop and will be answering lots of our Questions! Also, given her last name, we feel that Shannon is the perfect person to have written this book :).

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

Shannon Reed is a writer and professor living in a small town just outside Pittsburgh.

Shannon grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and lived in Brooklyn for 14 years, where she taught high school English and Theatre. In 2012, she began studying with the Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh, where she completed an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) in 2015. She joined the faculty shortly thereafter, and is now the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Writing Program in the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a Teaching Associate Professor, specializing in fiction and humor writing courses.

Shannon’s first book, Why Did I Get a B?: And Other Mysteries We’re Discussing in the Faculty Lounge, was a semi-finalist for the Thurber Prize in American Humor. Her second, Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out, publishes on February 6, 2024. It’s a Next Big Idea Club Must-Read Pick and will be featured in George Saunders’ Substack newsletter, Office Hours.

Shannon’s writing has been published in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency (where one of her pieces was the most-read article in 2018, and another was in the Top Three for 2023), The Paris Review, The Washington Post, Slate, Buzzfeed, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and many other publications.

She is ceaselessly interested in talking about herself and her work, so don’t hesitate to get in touch via SReed151@gmail.com.