Living Reading is a qualitative research study of the ways teachers form and enact notions of literacy through participation in a subject-area association that places reading at the heart of its mission. This study explores the gendered and historical roots of the discipline of reading and reading instruction in the United States, and it demonstrates how the professional development opportunities offered by this organization (and others like it) support and constrain educational reform initiatives. Through «living reading» teacher-members seek spiritual affirmation and renewal as well as professional knowledge. This is the first in-depth look inside the practice of a subject-area association, one of a select number of professional groups that wield broad influence on teachers' practice and educational policy.