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A review by drollgorg
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
So embarrassing to be reading books about writing and nodding along with recognition
But Anne Lamott is very good at writing in a way that makes me (metaphorically, given that I'm reading a book and not actually talking to anyone) nod along, and she really does capture so much of the experience of trying to put words down on a page in a way that also gives me a chance at learning something on the way. I have often bemoaned and muttered about how much writers are obsessed with writing as a noble struggle and it can come to become an overinflated part of the conflicts that they are able to portray. Even if if I was miserable enough to level that complaint at a memoir and book of advice about writing, Lamott is very well aware of all the idiosyncracies of writers, and she strikes a gentle balance between humorous self-awareness and real commitment to the importance of writing. Her sense of humor is great too. I wonder what she has to say about the Internet.
But Anne Lamott is very good at writing in a way that makes me (metaphorically, given that I'm reading a book and not actually talking to anyone) nod along, and she really does capture so much of the experience of trying to put words down on a page in a way that also gives me a chance at learning something on the way. I have often bemoaned and muttered about how much writers are obsessed with writing as a noble struggle and it can come to become an overinflated part of the conflicts that they are able to portray. Even if if I was miserable enough to level that complaint at a memoir and book of advice about writing, Lamott is very well aware of all the idiosyncracies of writers, and she strikes a gentle balance between humorous self-awareness and real commitment to the importance of writing. Her sense of humor is great too. I wonder what she has to say about the Internet.