OK. I have a question. I have been practicing my annotations (I just went back and studied the paragraph annotation post because I am a new reader here)... and I wanted to ask WHEN/HOW you go about defining the sentence/paragraph themes. As I try to figure out my own system, I feel like I have two potential paths.... a) do research ABOUT the book before i read and have a starter list of themes to look for OR b) underline as I go, keep a running list of themes and then once I am done reading, go back and use my colors to annotate + take notes.
I currently do b) and once I finish a book, I go back and read through my underlined parts but will definitely be practicing annotation, especially for my FAVORITE books! I just finished Giovanni's Room and I think it's a perfect candidate for this type of reading.
Hi Petya! Amazing question. I tend to like your option "b," as it can feel a little more authentic -- like you're truly tracking what you're noticing in the book and aren't forcing a theme onto a book. But it can be very productive to research and writing projects to know your themes ahead of time and to focus on a set list as you read.
Here's how I'd define the two approaches I use:
1 - Defining themes by noticing what I see in the paragraphs/sentences I'm marking. (So: not picking themes ahead of time, but letting them naturally arise as I read.)
Say you read the first chapter of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and, as you read and underline sentences that resonate, you notice that most of what's resonating for you has to do with "family." So, you could decide to say that "family" is something you'd like to intentionally keep noticing in the book. You might decide: "I'm going to really focus on highlighting "family" stuff in blue, and I'll do the rest of my annotations in yellow." This way, you can track a core theme and let the others rest, as you go, so you're not trying to track a million things at once.
When you're done reading, you'll have a basic map of at least one central theme that matters to you -- "family" -- and on subsequent reads or analysis, you can pick new themes or look for new tensions. Because now you have a basic familiarity with the text.
This method is awesome for branching out your close reading practice, because it helps you identify a core theme and hone in on it. It also allows you to deeply read, on re-reads or subsequent visits to that novel, by creating a core theme from which you can grow later themes.
So, it'd be something like: "On my first read of Harry Potter, I noticed a lot of tensions around the definition of family -- especially Harry's status as an orphan and his desire to find a true home where he is loved. On my next read of Harry Potter, I'm really interested in seeing how this theme of "family" lines up with other things I noticed as I read -- like the obsession with "pureblood" wizarding status. This is another "family" tension, but it also has to do with race and class. On my next read, I want to specifically watch for themes of race and class."
I like this method a lot because it helps you take an authentic observation and ride it all the way to a deeper analysis.
2 - The second method is to -- rather than conduct research on a particular book -- keep a list of themes that matter *to you specifically.* Maybe you really care about noticing ecofeminist tensions or references to typewriters or characters with religious trauma and their psychology. And you can take this list with you to every book you read.
This method helps a lot when you're doing something like a dissertation, or writing a book, where you already know the general topic or themes you're looking for inspiration on (say, something like: "marriage and gender, especially in the Victorian era"). Then, you can focus on a single theme and color-code it as you read all kinds of texts. ("Everything in blue in my Victorian novels has to do with gender." OR "Everything in blue in my personal library has to do with marriage or sex.")
This method can sometimes lead to "cherry picking," where you'll only let yourself notice specific things about a book, so it's one to be very intentional about using. But, like I said, it's dynamite for a dissertation or larger research/book project, when you know you want to focus on specific themes.
For your specific project right now -- "I've just read Giovanni's Room and now I want to closely read it thematically" -- I'd recommend a free write where you don't look at the novel at all and instead prompt yourself to make a list of themes you remember from reading. What stuck out most to you? What felt memorable? What felt like a consistent through line?
Use your free write findings to create a map of themes for yourself. You might create a "legend" like I did in the sentence analysis exercise, and put it inside the front cover (or put it on a post-it and stick it on the cover of the book) to help you remember which 5-7 themes you want to track, and how you'd like to annotate them.
One of the best parts of this, I think, is when you start to come across places where you suddenly need a new color or a new theme or your existing system isn't quite enough. That lets you step back, with all that intentionality that comes with close reading, and say "how can I adapt my annotation system to make room for this awesome new things I've noticed?"
This is amazing. Thank you so much for such a thoughtful response! I have learned so much for you already!
I will practice my paragraph and sentence analysis on Giovanni's Room but will also try to zoom out and do this at a higher level for each of the books I read this month to see what resonates with me, thematically. One of my reasons for writing my Substack is to hone in more intentionally on what I actually LIKE to read and this type of work is exactly what I need to be doing (as opposed to simply trying to keep up with the publishing machine and reading only what's new and buzzy.)
Also, I love that goal for Substack. That is one of my goals, too! I really want to write about the things I actually care about, and not get caught up in only ever thinking about or tweeting about or venting about whatever is trending elsewhere. Having a list of themes for yourself can be an amazing "centering" tool, in that regard. And can REALLY help with Substack content strategy, too. Sometimes when I'm not sure what to write, I'll go through my own list and go "oh, yeah, I do have something to say!"
Thanks so much, Petya! I'm really excited to hear more about your list of themes, as you build it out :)
This is so helpful and so easily explained! I am forwarding this to people around me who read and are looking for ways to read deeper and better.
I love to read that, Nidhi!! I hope you and your friends find it a valuable resource for reading!
OK. I have a question. I have been practicing my annotations (I just went back and studied the paragraph annotation post because I am a new reader here)... and I wanted to ask WHEN/HOW you go about defining the sentence/paragraph themes. As I try to figure out my own system, I feel like I have two potential paths.... a) do research ABOUT the book before i read and have a starter list of themes to look for OR b) underline as I go, keep a running list of themes and then once I am done reading, go back and use my colors to annotate + take notes.
I currently do b) and once I finish a book, I go back and read through my underlined parts but will definitely be practicing annotation, especially for my FAVORITE books! I just finished Giovanni's Room and I think it's a perfect candidate for this type of reading.
Hi Petya! Amazing question. I tend to like your option "b," as it can feel a little more authentic -- like you're truly tracking what you're noticing in the book and aren't forcing a theme onto a book. But it can be very productive to research and writing projects to know your themes ahead of time and to focus on a set list as you read.
Here's how I'd define the two approaches I use:
1 - Defining themes by noticing what I see in the paragraphs/sentences I'm marking. (So: not picking themes ahead of time, but letting them naturally arise as I read.)
Say you read the first chapter of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and, as you read and underline sentences that resonate, you notice that most of what's resonating for you has to do with "family." So, you could decide to say that "family" is something you'd like to intentionally keep noticing in the book. You might decide: "I'm going to really focus on highlighting "family" stuff in blue, and I'll do the rest of my annotations in yellow." This way, you can track a core theme and let the others rest, as you go, so you're not trying to track a million things at once.
When you're done reading, you'll have a basic map of at least one central theme that matters to you -- "family" -- and on subsequent reads or analysis, you can pick new themes or look for new tensions. Because now you have a basic familiarity with the text.
This method is awesome for branching out your close reading practice, because it helps you identify a core theme and hone in on it. It also allows you to deeply read, on re-reads or subsequent visits to that novel, by creating a core theme from which you can grow later themes.
So, it'd be something like: "On my first read of Harry Potter, I noticed a lot of tensions around the definition of family -- especially Harry's status as an orphan and his desire to find a true home where he is loved. On my next read of Harry Potter, I'm really interested in seeing how this theme of "family" lines up with other things I noticed as I read -- like the obsession with "pureblood" wizarding status. This is another "family" tension, but it also has to do with race and class. On my next read, I want to specifically watch for themes of race and class."
I like this method a lot because it helps you take an authentic observation and ride it all the way to a deeper analysis.
2 - The second method is to -- rather than conduct research on a particular book -- keep a list of themes that matter *to you specifically.* Maybe you really care about noticing ecofeminist tensions or references to typewriters or characters with religious trauma and their psychology. And you can take this list with you to every book you read.
This method helps a lot when you're doing something like a dissertation, or writing a book, where you already know the general topic or themes you're looking for inspiration on (say, something like: "marriage and gender, especially in the Victorian era"). Then, you can focus on a single theme and color-code it as you read all kinds of texts. ("Everything in blue in my Victorian novels has to do with gender." OR "Everything in blue in my personal library has to do with marriage or sex.")
This method can sometimes lead to "cherry picking," where you'll only let yourself notice specific things about a book, so it's one to be very intentional about using. But, like I said, it's dynamite for a dissertation or larger research/book project, when you know you want to focus on specific themes.
For your specific project right now -- "I've just read Giovanni's Room and now I want to closely read it thematically" -- I'd recommend a free write where you don't look at the novel at all and instead prompt yourself to make a list of themes you remember from reading. What stuck out most to you? What felt memorable? What felt like a consistent through line?
Use your free write findings to create a map of themes for yourself. You might create a "legend" like I did in the sentence analysis exercise, and put it inside the front cover (or put it on a post-it and stick it on the cover of the book) to help you remember which 5-7 themes you want to track, and how you'd like to annotate them.
One of the best parts of this, I think, is when you start to come across places where you suddenly need a new color or a new theme or your existing system isn't quite enough. That lets you step back, with all that intentionality that comes with close reading, and say "how can I adapt my annotation system to make room for this awesome new things I've noticed?"
This is amazing. Thank you so much for such a thoughtful response! I have learned so much for you already!
I will practice my paragraph and sentence analysis on Giovanni's Room but will also try to zoom out and do this at a higher level for each of the books I read this month to see what resonates with me, thematically. One of my reasons for writing my Substack is to hone in more intentionally on what I actually LIKE to read and this type of work is exactly what I need to be doing (as opposed to simply trying to keep up with the publishing machine and reading only what's new and buzzy.)
Thank you, thank you!
You are so welcome!!
Also, I love that goal for Substack. That is one of my goals, too! I really want to write about the things I actually care about, and not get caught up in only ever thinking about or tweeting about or venting about whatever is trending elsewhere. Having a list of themes for yourself can be an amazing "centering" tool, in that regard. And can REALLY help with Substack content strategy, too. Sometimes when I'm not sure what to write, I'll go through my own list and go "oh, yeah, I do have something to say!"
Thanks so much, Petya! I'm really excited to hear more about your list of themes, as you build it out :)
This is one of my favorite posts - I have it saved in a special folder in my inbox so I can keep coming back to it!
I love to read this, Shruti! Thank you!!