Promoting lifelong reading is one objective of East Georgia College's English courses--all of them, even composition--because learning is a lifelong pursuit and to read is to continue to learn. This 2-year college's students range in age from 16-66 with varied interests but similar cultural backgrounds. Most come from non-reading, economically disadvantaged homes. While some authorities argue against placing literature in the composition classroom, many others are in favor, so long as the main course objectives involve writing. Selected reading varies from campus to campus, including professional essays, popular magazines, and other material of interest to the student. At East Georgia College, contemporary novels, best sellers, or new biographies or autobiographies are chosen, such as "The Cold Sassy Tree" and "Song of Solomon." Authors come to speak to the student body and students are given an opportunity to talk to them and to have their own books autographed afterwards. In the classroom, after the reading assignment, discussion begins, then a brief quiz, and then a writing assignment is given. Reading novels, biographies, and autobiographies stimulates the students to think for themselves and to express those thoughts in both oral and written media. (Contains six references.) (CR)