I have lived a thousand lives. I have loved a thousand loves . . . because I read.

The line is attributed to Martin from a 2013 public talk at Texas A&M University, where he described growing up with limited means and experiencing adventure and emotional breadth through reading. He framed books as the reason he could feel as if he had lived and loved far beyond his literal circumstances.

The quote argues that reading expands a person’s inner life: through stories, a reader can imaginatively inhabit many identities, places, and relationships, gaining experiences and perspectives that would be impossible to accumulate in a single lifetime.

I was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. I grew up in the projects. I never went anywhere. But I have lived a thousand lives. I have loved a thousand loves. I’ve wandered distant worlds and seen the end of time because I read.

I have lived a thousand lives and I’ve loved a thousand loves. I’ve walked on distant worlds and seen the end of time. Because I read.