Reading Outside of Your Lane

Reading Outside of Your Lane is a blog post on how to approach reading a novel about a person or people outside of your usual fare. The author writes transgender historical fiction. This is needed advice as literature opens up to writers who are none of: straight, white, American, men. It is also helpful advice to keep in mind when I encounter such people in person. Reading, I can look up unknown words, slang, and phrases on the Internet as I go. At poetry readings and open mics, I’m not sure whether to do that. The feature/speaker may consider it rude. I dislike making mistakes in public, but sometimes that’s what required to learn.