Reading happens somewhere between texts and readers. What does reading do to a reader? What role does a reader’s subjectivity play? A number of contradictory fantasies exist in both the academy and in popular culture: that reading may heal and be therapeutic, or hurt and constitute a form of violence; that it can lead to lasting growth and change, or to conformity; that it may elevate and educate, or corrupt and derange. It may be a creative act, or merely communication; it may even be obsolete in the era of AI. This seminar explores theoretical, psychological and scientific debates about reading, its effects on the mind, and the role of the reader’s unique subjectivity in shaping the experience of reading and the meaning given to the text.