[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fNxWwa9dDGs5kvynJkG-duNIw_6V20Uqw2Ma9Uf-Uma4":3,"$fSmUSv5466gxuHE3_pL6iseBrac1C9jHvnymcRXkDhEs":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},3112,"Erin Wunker","E",2,null,"erin-wunker",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":59},[14,31],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":8,"has_image":17,"author":18,"source":19,"quote_tag":20,"commentary":9},736995,"So one of my responsibilities, as a white, cis-gendered woman, is to learn how to be a traitor to the 'joys' of patriarchal culture that I experience, however unconsciously.",false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[21,26],{"id":22,"tag":23},3557303,{"id":24,"tag_name":25},5128,"feminism",{"id":27,"tag":28},3557304,{"id":29,"tag_name":30},20400,"intersectional-feminism",{"id":32,"quote_text":33,"author_id":5,"source_id":8,"has_image":34,"author":35,"source":36,"quote_tag":37,"commentary":58},8565,"Still, when I think of early friendships, I think not of people but of books. Books were my friends, and more often than not, the characters in the books were my imaginary friends, who stepped out of the pages and walked wth me to school or sat in bed with me, talking when I was meant to be asleep. What I mean is reading was my friends. And also I mean that I learned about friendship - patience, slowness, listening, care - from reading and from reading about friendship between people.",true,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[38,43,48,53],{"id":39,"tag":40},61877,{"id":41,"tag_name":42},11,"book",{"id":44,"tag":45},61880,{"id":46,"tag_name":47},89,"friendship",{"id":49,"tag":50},61879,{"id":51,"tag_name":52},130,"friends",{"id":54,"tag":55},61878,{"id":56,"tag_name":57},177,"books","**The Backstory**\n\nThis poignant reflection is likely from Erin Wunker's personal essays, memoirs, or interviews where she delves into her early life experiences and their impact on her reading habits and relationships. As a historian, I can attest that Wunker has spoken about the significance of reading in her childhood, often referencing it as a source of comfort and companionship during difficult times. This era of her life was marked by introspection and self-discovery.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nWuner's words reveal a counter-intuitive truth: that true friendships can be found not solely through human interactions but also through the pages of books. By suggesting that books were her friends, she subverts the conventional notion that friendship requires physical presence or direct communication with others, instead pointing to the transformative power of literature.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply this mindset today, modern readers and creatives can benefit from cultivating a similar appreciation for the literary friendships that sustain them. By embracing books as companions and drawing lessons on patience, slowness, listening, and care from stories about human relationships, individuals can foster richer inner lives and more empathetic connections with others.",{"currentPage":60,"totalPages":60,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":61},1,10]