tell me what you read, and I will tell you what you are

I’m thinking of a possible new topic for a seminar in literature next fall. I’d call it “Bethel Favorites” and have a dozen different faculty, staff, and recent alumni pick a favorite literary work. The seminar members would read and discuss the work, but the faculty, staff, or alumni would come and present a guest lecture on how and why they “love” the piece of literature, how it speaks to them, how it has enchanted or mentored them over the years.

The implicit thesis of a course like this would be that our favorite works say something about what we are. “Tell me what you read, and I will tell you what you are.”