Jonathan Anthony Burkett. Author-supplied portrait. By Jonathan Anthony Burkett Original reflections | November 11, 2026 A book can reach its return date before a reader reaches its last page. That simple mismatch can feel like a judgment: the reader was not disciplined enough, or the book was not compelling enough. Neither conclusion necessarily follows. A…
Dialogue can draw attention toward the person speaking. Their words occupy the page, announce an intention or change the direction of a scene. On a rereading, another figure may become more interesting: the person receiving those words. What do they answer, what do they leave una
The first pages of a book do not all perform the same task. An introduction may explain how the work came to be, describe the writer’s position or invite a particular kind of attention. A first chapter may begin the events or argu
An original reading prompt by Jonathan Anthony Burkett on unfamiliar words, context and returning to the sentence after a lookup.