Modernity is intent on inculcating short attention spans and insatiable dopamine cravings in its people. Reading has become more difficult and less common. In this piece, Sam Kahn —one of the greatest living essayists and co-founder of The Republic of Letters —tracks his journey with books from youth until today. He speaks honestly and specifically about the pressures working against his reading appetite and ability, and how he has attempted to counteract them. Magazine Non Grata is a print magazine and online publication aiming to revitalize literature and give it back to the people. Print offerings are available on our website. Digital subscriptions (both free and paid) are available via Substack: Print Digital 400 Blows (1959), directed by François Truffaut. I hit my reading peak when I was eleven or twelve. At the time, it was a joke. I had a bedside table and it was stacked with books, all at different stages of being read.…