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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
vintage Anne lamott definitely appeals to me. I love her metaphors, no matter how awkwardly mixed and I love the way she walks the tightrope between eccentric and batshit. this meandered in such a way that it was hard to get through, though. particularly if you have a deadline. after three renewals through the library, I still couldn't power my way through it. if you ever meet Anne lamott, let her know she owes me $5.40 in late fines.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to write. Her brave and candid exhibit of her writing life made me a little less daunted by what I would like to achieve. She shares without fear and with a healthy dose of humor. She covers the practical and emotional aspects of writing - you have to start with a s****y first draft, then go from there. She gets to the heart of why you should write, and if that why is honest, then the writing itself will resonate.
If you are easily offended by spirituality, this book may not be for you, as she finds great comfort and strength in hers, yet she is neither preachy nor pushy. She only refers to what helps her along and suggests alternatives to the non-spiritually minded. I am an agnostic and was not at all smothered by her inclusion of faith. It was an amusing and sympathetic read, absolutely loved it and appreciated the great words and advice.
If you are easily offended by spirituality, this book may not be for you, as she finds great comfort and strength in hers, yet she is neither preachy nor pushy. She only refers to what helps her along and suggests alternatives to the non-spiritually minded. I am an agnostic and was not at all smothered by her inclusion of faith. It was an amusing and sympathetic read, absolutely loved it and appreciated the great words and advice.
Bird by Bird is the best book about writing I've read so far. Anne Lamott has such a warm conversational tone, it doesn't feel like a dry instructional manual like so many other how-to books can. It feels as though Anne (yes, we're on a first-name basis now) has invited you over for a coffee while she dishes on life as writer - the ups, the downs, and - most surprisingly of all - why being a published writer may not be the be-all, end-all that it's cracked up to be.
I know, that one caught me off-guard too...
She comes across as a potty-mouthed mentor/friend with stories of her own experience that are both helpful and encouraging - and funny! This is the perfect example of how a how-to book can actually be entertaining. She writes about the sheer pleasure of writing, while also acknowledging the importance of shitty first drafts to get to the good stuff. She breaks down the writing process through anecdotes, imbuing her recollections with what worked for her while simultaneously nudging the reader in the right direction.
I generally try to keep my books in good condition, but this one is now unabashedly dog-eared and the person who owned it before me underlined all the right passages, saving me the effort. It's the kind of book that will be perfect to pick up and open to a random page for help and inspiration. It's a tribute to the joy of writing and why some of us are compelled to put words on a page. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for some inspiration. Bird by bird, word by word, you will get there and you will triumph.
I know, that one caught me off-guard too...
She comes across as a potty-mouthed mentor/friend with stories of her own experience that are both helpful and encouraging - and funny! This is the perfect example of how a how-to book can actually be entertaining. She writes about the sheer pleasure of writing, while also acknowledging the importance of shitty first drafts to get to the good stuff. She breaks down the writing process through anecdotes, imbuing her recollections with what worked for her while simultaneously nudging the reader in the right direction.
I generally try to keep my books in good condition, but this one is now unabashedly dog-eared and the person who owned it before me underlined all the right passages, saving me the effort. It's the kind of book that will be perfect to pick up and open to a random page for help and inspiration. It's a tribute to the joy of writing and why some of us are compelled to put words on a page. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for some inspiration. Bird by bird, word by word, you will get there and you will triumph.
Publisher's Summary: Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'"
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I recently posted an update on Goodreads about my status with this book. I wrote that it was taking me a long time to get through it, since I was "marinating" in the ideas it held. One of my twitter friends, a fellow teacher, responded by saying that this was a great statement. To be marinating in a book is really what I would love for all of my student readers to do. Certainly not all books lend themselves to this deep pondering, but this one is a gem of book for sitting and stewing.
Bird By Bird was first recommended to me by a literacy coach two and a half years ago. I have to say that although she really "sold" the book to me (I wrote down the title and stashed it away for this long), I was petrified of cracking it open...until now. I have had a resurgence, of sorts, in intellectual rigor of late and felt that now is the time to devote my attention to Lamott's book. Why now? A fellow co-worker commented on my blog recently about how she has had an intellectual reawakening, too. It must be the age that we are both reaching...this is our midlife crisis.
Writing was always a way of life for me. Ever since I was a young girl and penned "Mr. and Mrs. Worm" (my mom still has that amazing nod to the food chain: the worms are eventually eaten by a bird...this must surely have been a sign to my parents that I was a troubled soul), I knew that writing was freeing for me. I felt lighter after having written something. I squirreled away diary after diary as I grew up; secret wishes and worries of a too-sensitive girl uncomfortable in her own skin. But somehow I lost my voice. Either through fulltime work or through parenting, I never put pen to paper for over fifteen years. This blog has been a virtual gateway to the old me.
And so it was that I opened page one of Lamott's book and found myself. One of my Twitter colleagues said it was the right book at the right time for me, and I have to agree. Ann Lamott, through humor and her strong sense of faith, writes with a powerful voice to the self-doubting writer (and isn't that every writer?) Part One: Writing tackles the nuts and bolts of writing. She explains in her pitch perfect voice how to get started, what to do if your first draft is lacking, how to develop character, plot and dialogue, and when to know when you are done. I found this section to be clear, concise and extremely helpful. Part Two: The Writing Frame Of Mind spoke to me the most. I clearly do not listen to my broccoli. You read that right. Lamott asserts that to listen to one's broccoli is to pay attention to the voice inside of you. That intuition is the greatest gift that a writer can possess. That, and an unflappable sense of humor. I needed to read this. I read this section over and over again. Marinating in a book takes a long time, you see. This section also dealt with paying attention to the world around you, and what to do when your voice starts bringing you down tell you that your writing stinks. The last portion was all about what to do when you are jealous of other writer's successes. Part Three: Help Along the Way included the importance of jotting down brilliant thoughts as they come to you, because they could be gone in an instant. I am guilty of this, myself. Drawing an entire scene in my head while driving to school, I trick myself into thinking I am a virtual genius. Then, by the time I am in my classroom, that thought has completely disappeared from my head and I am left wondering why I didn't write it down when it stumbled into me. Lamott uses index cards. She says her son, Sam, will have millions of them to deal with upon her death. I can relate. The next portions of this section deal with showing your work to trusted people, writing query letters to publishers/agents, and how to deal with writer's block (this was a particularly humorous section). The Fourth and Fifth Part: Publication and Other Reasons To Write/The Last Class spoke mainly about how it really is amazing to have something published, but that it is not nearly as great as one would imagine. Trust me, you will have to read it to understand her point. Finding your voice was addressed in this section, and I paid particular attention to it. Without a strong voice, we can get lost in the crowd. I marinated in this section a little longer.
Recently, I had the challenge and honor of writing a personal story about the losses our family suffered as we were growing our family. It has not been until recently that I have been willing and able to talk about my fullterm stillborn (cord accident) and neonatal death (four months old: seizure disorder) double losses. It is soon to be published in our community's seasonal magazine. It was without a doubt one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Holding a mirror up to oneself and walking through a landmine of endless bad memories was excrutiatingly painful. Lamott understood. "Both suffering and joy come then like a brief reflection, and death like a pin. But you can't get to any of these truths by sitting in a field smiling beatifically, avoiding your anger and damage and grief. Your anger and damage and grief are the way to the truth. We don't have much truth to express unless we have gone into those rooms and closets and woods and abysses that we were told not to go in to. When we have gone in and looked around for a long while, just breathing and finally taking it in, then we will be able to speak in our own voice and to stay in the present moment. And that moment is home." (p. 210)
I will be writing another piece for our area's magazine to appear in the summer edition. This piece will be about my former co-worker's diagnosis of Leukemia, and my principal's marathons she runs in her name. The assistant editor had this to say in her e-mail, "I definitely think you would be a great addition to our writing team." It seems I have found my way home.
Favorite passages:
"'Do it every day for a while'," my father kept saying, 'Do it as you would do scales on the piano. Do it by prearrangement with yourself. Do it as a debt of honor. And make a commitment to finishing things.'" (p. xxii)
"My deepest belief is that to live as if we're dying can set us free. Drying people teach you to pay attention and to forgive and not to sweat the small things." (p. 125)
"If your mind is perhaps the merest bit disorganized, it probably just means that you've lost a little ground...It may be that you've had children. When a child comes out of your body, it arrives with about a fifth of your brain clutched in its little hand, like those babies born clutching IUD's. So for any number of reasons, it's only fair to let yourself take notes." (p. 137)
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************
I recently posted an update on Goodreads about my status with this book. I wrote that it was taking me a long time to get through it, since I was "marinating" in the ideas it held. One of my twitter friends, a fellow teacher, responded by saying that this was a great statement. To be marinating in a book is really what I would love for all of my student readers to do. Certainly not all books lend themselves to this deep pondering, but this one is a gem of book for sitting and stewing.
Bird By Bird was first recommended to me by a literacy coach two and a half years ago. I have to say that although she really "sold" the book to me (I wrote down the title and stashed it away for this long), I was petrified of cracking it open...until now. I have had a resurgence, of sorts, in intellectual rigor of late and felt that now is the time to devote my attention to Lamott's book. Why now? A fellow co-worker commented on my blog recently about how she has had an intellectual reawakening, too. It must be the age that we are both reaching...this is our midlife crisis.
Writing was always a way of life for me. Ever since I was a young girl and penned "Mr. and Mrs. Worm" (my mom still has that amazing nod to the food chain: the worms are eventually eaten by a bird...this must surely have been a sign to my parents that I was a troubled soul), I knew that writing was freeing for me. I felt lighter after having written something. I squirreled away diary after diary as I grew up; secret wishes and worries of a too-sensitive girl uncomfortable in her own skin. But somehow I lost my voice. Either through fulltime work or through parenting, I never put pen to paper for over fifteen years. This blog has been a virtual gateway to the old me.
And so it was that I opened page one of Lamott's book and found myself. One of my Twitter colleagues said it was the right book at the right time for me, and I have to agree. Ann Lamott, through humor and her strong sense of faith, writes with a powerful voice to the self-doubting writer (and isn't that every writer?) Part One: Writing tackles the nuts and bolts of writing. She explains in her pitch perfect voice how to get started, what to do if your first draft is lacking, how to develop character, plot and dialogue, and when to know when you are done. I found this section to be clear, concise and extremely helpful. Part Two: The Writing Frame Of Mind spoke to me the most. I clearly do not listen to my broccoli. You read that right. Lamott asserts that to listen to one's broccoli is to pay attention to the voice inside of you. That intuition is the greatest gift that a writer can possess. That, and an unflappable sense of humor. I needed to read this. I read this section over and over again. Marinating in a book takes a long time, you see. This section also dealt with paying attention to the world around you, and what to do when your voice starts bringing you down tell you that your writing stinks. The last portion was all about what to do when you are jealous of other writer's successes. Part Three: Help Along the Way included the importance of jotting down brilliant thoughts as they come to you, because they could be gone in an instant. I am guilty of this, myself. Drawing an entire scene in my head while driving to school, I trick myself into thinking I am a virtual genius. Then, by the time I am in my classroom, that thought has completely disappeared from my head and I am left wondering why I didn't write it down when it stumbled into me. Lamott uses index cards. She says her son, Sam, will have millions of them to deal with upon her death. I can relate. The next portions of this section deal with showing your work to trusted people, writing query letters to publishers/agents, and how to deal with writer's block (this was a particularly humorous section). The Fourth and Fifth Part: Publication and Other Reasons To Write/The Last Class spoke mainly about how it really is amazing to have something published, but that it is not nearly as great as one would imagine. Trust me, you will have to read it to understand her point. Finding your voice was addressed in this section, and I paid particular attention to it. Without a strong voice, we can get lost in the crowd. I marinated in this section a little longer.
Recently, I had the challenge and honor of writing a personal story about the losses our family suffered as we were growing our family. It has not been until recently that I have been willing and able to talk about my fullterm stillborn (cord accident) and neonatal death (four months old: seizure disorder) double losses. It is soon to be published in our community's seasonal magazine. It was without a doubt one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Holding a mirror up to oneself and walking through a landmine of endless bad memories was excrutiatingly painful. Lamott understood. "Both suffering and joy come then like a brief reflection, and death like a pin. But you can't get to any of these truths by sitting in a field smiling beatifically, avoiding your anger and damage and grief. Your anger and damage and grief are the way to the truth. We don't have much truth to express unless we have gone into those rooms and closets and woods and abysses that we were told not to go in to. When we have gone in and looked around for a long while, just breathing and finally taking it in, then we will be able to speak in our own voice and to stay in the present moment. And that moment is home." (p. 210)
I will be writing another piece for our area's magazine to appear in the summer edition. This piece will be about my former co-worker's diagnosis of Leukemia, and my principal's marathons she runs in her name. The assistant editor had this to say in her e-mail, "I definitely think you would be a great addition to our writing team." It seems I have found my way home.
Favorite passages:
"'Do it every day for a while'," my father kept saying, 'Do it as you would do scales on the piano. Do it by prearrangement with yourself. Do it as a debt of honor. And make a commitment to finishing things.'" (p. xxii)
"My deepest belief is that to live as if we're dying can set us free. Drying people teach you to pay attention and to forgive and not to sweat the small things." (p. 125)
"If your mind is perhaps the merest bit disorganized, it probably just means that you've lost a little ground...It may be that you've had children. When a child comes out of your body, it arrives with about a fifth of your brain clutched in its little hand, like those babies born clutching IUD's. So for any number of reasons, it's only fair to let yourself take notes." (p. 137)
One of the books I give as unsolicited gifts. One of the books I always own more than one copy of, and have on loan, one with sugarpacket bookmarks from coffeeshops in every place I've lived -- one of those books where I feel compelled to buy extras when I happen upon it in a secondhand stack anywhere.
I love Anne Lamott's writing already, but her writing ABOUT writing is fabulous. It still contains her wry, irreverant humor with lots of practical and doable tips. Now I'm itching to start writing again and feel like I have some new tools to keep me going, help me focus, and avoid writer's block.
inspiring
one of the funniest most amazing books ever for the aspiring writer. or really just anyone who wants to know that it's okay to try and fail and fuck up and laugh---and that there is success in all of that. i seriously laughed out loud several times, i read it super fast and i will read it again and again i am sure. the best book i have ever picked up about writing, hands down.
I can see how this would be really great for new writers! I got some out of it but a lot of it was basics I learnt in my writing course.
Great for people starting out!
Great for people starting out!