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evelinameiklejohn 's review for:
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
by Natalie Goldberg
I've been on and off reading this book for the last decade, and I've finally finished it. Something that I find magical about this book is that I could turn to any random page, and it will deeply resonate with me in that moment. It somehow always has the right words to say to me, even after all this time.
What makes this book so valuable is that, yes, it is about writing, but it is about the mind of a writer, the life of a writer. So much of it is about the human condition. The beauty and challenge of existence and all of the fear, anxiety, joy, relief, and energy that comes with it. How to handle it, how to ride it, how to accept it and let it go.
I was first introduced to this book in college by my professor EJ Levy. It was one of our required textbooks for the class, but, being an incredibly broke college student, I would instead borrow a friend's copy to keep up with the assignments. I fell in love with every passage we read, though it was some time before I finally purchased by own copy.
I've carried it with me everywhere since. The corners are heavily dog-eared, the plastic coating on the cover is peeling, and the text is heavily tattooed with highlighter and underlines and my cramped notes in the margins. Not only does the book provide wonderful writing prompts, it encourages self-discovery and awareness, even for the messy details and challenging topics.
There are so many passages in this book that I want to tattoo onto my body because there is no amount of closeness I can get to these words that are enough. This book means so much to me.
It is a pertinent book for the writer who has lost their way. For the writer who doesn't know where to start. For the writer seeking a little quiet.
Thoughtful, personal, and glorious in all that it does, I highly recommend Writing Down the Bones.
What makes this book so valuable is that, yes, it is about writing, but it is about the mind of a writer, the life of a writer. So much of it is about the human condition. The beauty and challenge of existence and all of the fear, anxiety, joy, relief, and energy that comes with it. How to handle it, how to ride it, how to accept it and let it go.
I was first introduced to this book in college by my professor EJ Levy. It was one of our required textbooks for the class, but, being an incredibly broke college student, I would instead borrow a friend's copy to keep up with the assignments. I fell in love with every passage we read, though it was some time before I finally purchased by own copy.
I've carried it with me everywhere since. The corners are heavily dog-eared, the plastic coating on the cover is peeling, and the text is heavily tattooed with highlighter and underlines and my cramped notes in the margins. Not only does the book provide wonderful writing prompts, it encourages self-discovery and awareness, even for the messy details and challenging topics.
There are so many passages in this book that I want to tattoo onto my body because there is no amount of closeness I can get to these words that are enough. This book means so much to me.
It is a pertinent book for the writer who has lost their way. For the writer who doesn't know where to start. For the writer seeking a little quiet.
Thoughtful, personal, and glorious in all that it does, I highly recommend Writing Down the Bones.