Review - Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
by Anne Lamott
"...for some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die."
If the above resonates in your soul, if you have the itch to write something, anything, this book is for you. Lamott takes an unflinching, deeply emtional, yet humorous look at life and writing, and one comes away uplifted.
Lamott takes the reader through the whole writing process, and manages to teach a lot about life in general along the way.
"Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do -- the actual act of writing -- turns out to be the best part. It's like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own reward."
This book can, and in fact ought to be, savored chapter by chapter, so that all of the annecdotes and advice truly sink in. Enjoy.