--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a professional non-fiction reader…" description: "\"I'm a professional non-fiction reader, that's what I do. But in my 20s we had our own vampire and witch moment, courtesy of Anne Rice, whose books I re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/deborah-harkness-3590_anne_i-m-a-professional-non-fiction-reader-th_1139336.jpg" --- # I'm a professional non-fiction reader, that's what I do… ![“I'm a professional non-fiction reader, that's what I do. But in my 20s we had our own vampire and witch moment, courtesy of Anne Rice, whose books I read and loved.” quote by Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/deborah-harkness-3590_anne_i-m-a-professional-non-fiction-reader-th_1139336.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/deborah-harkness-3590_anne_i-m-a-professional-non-fiction-reader-th_1139336.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/deborah-harkness-3590_anne_i-m-a-professional-non-fiction-reader-th_1139336.jpg) > “I'm a professional non-fiction reader, that's what I do. But in my 20s we had our own vampire and witch moment, courtesy of Anne Rice, whose books I read and loved.” [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A nostalgic recollection of youthful fascination with gothic fiction, highlighting how Anne Rice shaped personal reading habits. **In simple terms:** Remembering how vampire stories influenced early adulthood reading choices. Key Takeaway Embrace the books that sparked your imagination. Themes nostalgia literature personal growth Mood reflective sentimental Type personal narrative literary reflection When to use this quote - college years - book clubs - personal identity - creative inspiration Key Concepts gothic fiction cultural impact Questions to Reflect On - How did those stories affect your worldview? - Do you still seek similar themes today? A Different Perspective Such memories may idealize past experiences, overlooking broader literary influences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Courtesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtesy/) [Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment/) [Non fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-fiction/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Vampire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vampire/) [Witch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch/) ## Related quotes > [I've been a fan of vampire fiction since way, way back - I loved Stephen King, Anne Rice, Peter Straub, Robert McCammon, Shirley Jackson,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-ve-been-a-fan-of-vampire-fiction-since-way-way-back-i-loved-stephen/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [Eroticism bubbles beneath the surface of every vampire story, but Anne Rice is a writer to make the pot boil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-maslin/eroticism-bubbles-beneath-the-surface-of-every-vampire-story-but-anne/) [Janet Maslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-maslin/) > [I have read every book in the 'Dune' series and every Anne Rice book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-toussaint/i-have-read-every-book-in-the-dune-series-and-every-anne-rice-book/) [Lorraine Toussaint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-toussaint/) > [Anne Rice really doesn't explore vampires as hideous monsters of the night, they're ancient creatures with a heart. And they want to be loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsters/anne-rice-really-doesn-t-explore-vampires-as-hideous-monsters-of-the/) [James Marsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsters/) > [“A human, werewolf, vampire, and a witch walk into a bar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanna-j-faison/a-human-werewolf-vampire-and-a-witch-walk-into-a-bar/) Alanna J. Faison > [“I am not a fiction reader. If I already do, I read fiction always more like the illustration of a philosophical-political thesis than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-tobback/i-am-not-a-fiction-reader-if-i-already-do-i-read-fiction-always-more/) Louis Tobback > [In fiction, the reader will make jumps with you. If you can make the reader make that leap with you, it's a thrilling moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lashner/in-fiction-the-reader-will-make-jumps-with-you-if-you-can-make-the/) [William Lashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lashner/) > [There's always been a quality to being a science-fiction reader. Usually, you're the only one in your class, or there are only one or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/there-s-always-been-a-quality-to-being-a-science-fiction-reader/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Traditionally, the science fiction reader has been the 16- to 24-year-old male, especially the male with an interest in technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/traditionally-the-science-fiction-reader-has-been-the-16-to-24-year/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [To my way of thinking and working, the greatest service a piece of fiction can do any reader is to leave him with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-my-way-of-thinking-and-working-the-greatest-service-a-piece-of-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To my way of thinking and working, the greatest service a piece of fiction can do any reader is to force him to lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-stratton-porter/to-my-way-of-thinking-and-working-the-greatest-service-a-piece-of/) [Gene Stratton-Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-stratton-porter/) > [I like to read non-fiction on my e-reader, but as for fiction, I usually like to have a copy to keep at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-han/i-like-to-read-non-fiction-on-my-e-reader-but-as-for-fiction-i/) [Jenny Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-han/) > [The situation has a real Lovecraft feel to it. Though, you know, if you come over it'll be more of an Anne Rice situation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/the-situation-has-a-real-lovecraft-feel-to-it-though-you-know-if-you/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Really? So you brought home a vampire? Cool. (Starla) I’m not a vampire. (Talon) ’Not exactly,’ he said earlier. What’s not exactly a vampire?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/really-so-you-brought-home-a-vampire-cool-starla-i-m-not-a-vampire/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“guests of the Palace, almost all of them Hollywood actors, European royalty, music greats, or the superrich and powerful. He found it all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/guests-of-the-palace-almost-all-of-them-hollywood-actors-european/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## More by Deborah Harkness > [After 20 years of writing academic prose and lectures, it seems very familiar and straightforward to me. Writing a novel for the first time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/after-20-years-of-writing-academic-prose-and-lectures-it-seems-very/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“As far as I can tell there are only two emotions that keep the world spinning year after year...One is fear. The other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/as-far-as-i-can-tell-there-are-only-two-emotions-that-keep-the-world/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [For me, a $20 wine that drinks like a $40 wine in terms of complexity and interest is a value, while a $5 wine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/for-me-a-20-wine-that-drinks-like-a-40-wine-in-terms-of-complexity/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“Some swore he was a maid in man's attire, For in his looks were all that men desire, A pleasant smiling cheeke, a speaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/some-swore-he-was-a-maid-in-man-s-attire-for-in-his-looks-were-all/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [I took a course on 'Magic, Alchemy, and Astrology' at Mount Holyoke, and it was a whole new awakening for me, a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-took-a-course-on-magic-alchemy-and-astrology-at-mount-holyoke-and/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [Her bark is worse than her bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/her-bark-is-worse-than-her-bite/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [The king just sits there, moving one square at a time. The queen can move so freely. I suppose I’d rather lose the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/the-king-just-sits-there-moving-one-square-at-a-time-the-queen-can/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [What if 16th century people were right, and the supernatural and natural coexisted? How would that play out?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/what-if-16th-century-people-were-right-and-the-supernatural-and/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [I was planning on starting a new file on my computer with the title "Phrases That Sound One Way to Witches but Mean Something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-was-planning-on-starting-a-new-file-on-my-computer-with-the-title/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [I think you can learn a lot from primary sources. 'The Penguin Book of Witches,' which is edited by novelist Katherine Howe, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-think-you-can-learn-a-lot-from-primary-sources-the-penguin-book-of/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“History only became more challenging when it became less neat. Every time I pick up a book or document from the past, I'm in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/history-only-became-more-challenging-when-it-became-less-neat-every/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [We live in a world where we think the mysterious is retreating farther and farther from our lives and eventually we will know all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/we-live-in-a-world-where-we-think-the-mysterious-is-retreating/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“Give me knowledge of my end and the measure of my days, so I may know my frailty. My lifetime is no longer than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/give-me-knowledge-of-my-end-and-the-measure-of-my-days-so-i-may-know/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [Memories were short and history unkind. It was the way of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/memories-were-short-and-history-unkind-it-was-the-way-of-the-world/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“All men are fools, Your Majesty,” Matthew said swiftly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/all-men-are-fools-your-majesty-matthew-said-swiftly/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) [Explore all 122 Deborah Harkness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) ## More Anne quotes > [“Despite everything, I believe people are really good at heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/despite-everything-i-believe-people-are-really-good-at-heart/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [“Try to think of it as though we are rewriting history––the first time this experience occurred you and I never kissed in this Dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-caligiuri/try-to-think-of-it-as-though-we-are-rewriting-history-the-first-time/) [Ross Caligiuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-caligiuri/) > [“My dream is to create something so beautiful that it encourages people to present the best version of themselves to me everywhere I go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-caligiuri/my-dream-is-to-create-something-so-beautiful-that-it-encourages/) [Ross Caligiuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-caligiuri/) > ['The Sound of Things Falling' may be a page turner, but it's also a deep meditation on fate and death. Even in translation, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-sound-of-things-falling-may-be-a-page-turner-but-it-s-also-a-deep/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Princess Anne is like her father. From her, you'll never hear a complaint of any kind about her upbringing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/princess-anne-is-like-her-father-from-her-you-ll-never-hear-a/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [“I am such a bad girl," she thought. Yet...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/i-am-such-a-bad-girl-she-thought-yet/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [“One little boy, and he a bastard,' Anne said thoughtfully. 'One little girl of six, one elderly Queen and a King in the prime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/one-little-boy-and-he-a-bastard-anne-said-thoughtfully-one-little/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [Here are a few of the actors who have brought my novels to TV life: Bill Pullman, Holly Hunter, Frances McDormand, Julian Sands, Gena…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/here-are-a-few-of-the-actors-who-have-brought-my-novels-to-tv-life/) [Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/) > [“I’m sensitive. I’m nothing but a big ball of mushy sensitive stuff inside. Tell her, pumpkin.” “Your son is very sensitive,” I dutifully recited.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-scott/i-m-sensitive-i-m-nothing-but-a-big-ball-of-mushy-sensitive-stuff/) [Kylie Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-scott/) > [“As her feet beat the concrete ground beneath them, her chest began to ache. It had been a long time since she had run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-caligiuri/as-her-feet-beat-the-concrete-ground-beneath-them-her-chest-began-to/) [Ross Caligiuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-caligiuri/) > [When my husband Jonas and I started Auntie Anne's in 1988, we never expected or anticipated building an international pretzel franchise. It was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-f-beiler/when-my-husband-jonas-and-i-started-auntie-anne-s-in-1988-we-never/) [Anne F. Beiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-f-beiler/) > [“Oh Angus,” she moaned. “Can’t you just use your…you know…your powers to clean this up?” Angus was walking to the kitchen, wiping his face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-mabeuse/oh-angus-she-moaned-can-t-you-just-use-your-you-know-your-powers-to/) [Elliot Mabeuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-mabeuse/) > [Words aren't made — they grow,' said Anne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-aren-t-made-they-grow-said-anne/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anne laughed. "I don't want sunbursts or marble halls, I just want you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anne-laughed-i-don-t-want-sunbursts-or-marble-halls-i-just-want-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anne Shirley. Anne with an "e.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anne-shirley-anne-with-an-e/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 161 Anne quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm a professional non-fiction reader, that's what I do. 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