San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Despite his dyslexia, Winkler is a book lover
Author of new memoir ‘Being Henry’ talks about his reading struggles and his favorite authors
Henry Winkler, best known for the TV series “Happy Days” and “Barry,” has recently published a memoir, “Being Henry: The Fonz ... and Beyond.” To celebrate its publication, he talked about his love for books, writing, William Shakespeare and beyond.
Q:
What’s the last great book you read?
A:
Daniel Silva’s “The Collector.” Daniel writes the way I dream of writing. In my mind, he writes sentences the way I imagine traveling down a beautiful river in a fly-fishing boat: smooth and natural and clear.
Q:
In your Hank Zipzer children’s book series and again in your new memoir, “Being Henry,” you write about growing up with dyslexia: How did that affect your life as a reader?
A:
My dyslexia has been a lifelong learning challenge. I am unable to sound out words, spell or do math, and I am grateful for everyone who has helped me each and every day. When my children were younger, I could not read them the bedtime story. My wife, Stacey, read those books aloud, and I acted them out. That was my job.
Q:
Describe your ideal reading experience.
A:
My ideal reading experience is the dream of being able to read as smoothly as other people do. I can only
“Being Henry: The Fonz ... and Beyond”
by Henry Winkler (Caladon Books, 2023; 256 pages)
read for about 15 minutes and then my eyes go askew, or I don’t remember what I just read, or I fall asleep. I really want to read, I wish I was better. I heard that Jack Kennedy would speed-read six newspapers in the morning by running his finger down the middle of the page. I tried to do that for a while.
Q:
Since reading was a struggle for you (and still is), what book made you most determined to persist in spite of the challenge?
A:
Oh, it must be “Angela’s Ashes,” by Frank Mccourt. I called the writer, I found his number, and I said, “Mr. Mccourt, hi, this is Henry Winkler, I’m an actor.” And he said, “You don’t have to tell me