QI identifies Faulkner’s April 1947 classroom remarks, preserved in student notes and later published. King’s similar advice does not make this wording his.
“Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it” — William Faulkner, recorded classroom remarks (1947), as documented by Quote Investigator; not Stephen King.
⚠ The slide-ready mistake: crediting this to Stephen King. Use the credit shown above instead.
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In context
Evoking the world of William Faulkner — American novelist. Theme: "Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Provenance
The source
Source
Faulkner classroom statements, April 1947; Lion in the Garden
Status
QI quotes exact wording from R. M. Allen’s notes in Lion in the Garden, with a separate 1951 version. It distinguishes King’s own reading advice. Primary volume was not independently inspected.
Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it.
The remarks date from 1947 and were published in modern interview collections. Treat the wording as in copyright; only a brief excerpt is used for attribution and criticism.
Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.
Fact-check
Often misattributed
Two writers can advocate reading without having said the same sentence.
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Popular creditStephen King
QI distinguishes his reading advice from Faulkner’s documented wording. Source comparison ↗
William Faulkner was an American novelist and Nobel laureate. This practical advice was recorded during a question-and-answer session with students at the University of Mississippi.
For writers & researchers
Cite this
The primary source (Chicago)
Faulkner classroom statements, April 1947; Lion in the Garden. See the linked research; a primary edition of the displayed wording has not been independently confirmed.
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/read-read-read-read-everything-trash-classics-good-and-bad/