Faulkner as an 8th grade reader

When I was in 8th grade, I was diving into texts that would purposefully challenge me.  I had been reading a couple grades above level for years, and I felt like I needed to really push myself.  One way I did this was by reading poetry.  My grandparents had an old poetry anthology in their basement. I don't remember what it was called, but I remember it being very old and having a frayed spine.  The poems' meanings were hard for me to grasp, as you might imagine when reading Keats or Whitman independently at 13.  When I thought I understood a line or stanza, or I just thought it sounded beautiful, I copied it down into a notebook.

Recording favorite lines sparked my reading for another reason at this age.  I was learning  how reading (and writing) could be healing for me.  Not only was I finding solace in the hardships of characters, but I was empathizing with their struggles, and then looking to find the perfect words to recreate emotions and senses.  My heart broke when Dallas Winston saw no good in the world of The Outsiders.  I felt Melinda's pressure when she tried to Speak through broken lips.  What I think meant the most to me was that all my work was motivating me to read simply for the love (and the healing) of reading.