intertext

I do like to read things for the sheer "health" of reading them. Last year I read The Grapes of Wrath to most people's confusion. But I got a lot out of it. In times of trouble I often turn to Steinbeck or Laurence for their ability at reminding me that I'm not the only one. I think that's the whole reason for literature nowadays--to make order from the isolation and confusion we all feel. After saying that, I sound like a religious person turning to a Bible for answers; I instead turn to literature.