Roxane Gay shares that reading serves as a form of salvation for her, enabling her to escape from difficult moments in her life. Through stories, she finds a refuge where she can immerse herself, which provides both remembrance and the ability to let go of painful memories. Literature offers her a comforting space where she can explore various narratives.

Moreover, Gay highlights the power of imagination that reading inspires, allowing her to envision alternate outcomes and improved realities. This creative process is essential to her experience of literature, as it fosters hope and the possibility of better worlds beyond her current circumstances.