Bird By Bird

[vaneramos]

At 1 a.m. I finished reading Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. ghostsandrobots and daisydumont, my first intention—completely forgotten in mid stream of consciousness—for engaging in discussion the other day, was to tell you about this book. It owes a lot to Natalie Goldberg, but is more honest, moving and inspirational (if that's possible). One feels Lamott typically has difficulty staying afloat in the world (she frequently describes how writing exploits one's personal neuroses and insanity). She manages by balancing anger with reverence and kindness. This book offered some fresh insight to come to grips with my own flavour of dilemma. Recommended.

I'm not yet sure what's on the agenda for this weekend, but at sunrise this morning the loom had bedroom eyes.

Comments

[smileyfish.livejournal.com]

Your loom is beautiful!

My friend geodyne has promised to let me know when her loom is strung so I can come photograph it. :)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It is darn difficult to photograph! But with the spring sunrise angling through my living room window, it was just perfect. Good luck!

[niyabinghi.livejournal.com]

Beautiful pic, so inviting!
I've come across that book before, will have to take a closer look, thanks.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

i bought Bird by Bird years ago and started it but, as is customary with me since i hit my 40s, never finished it. the beginning was fantastic, anyway. i really like anne lamott! (must look around to see if it's still on a shelf somewhere...)

[ghostsandrobots.livejournal.com]

I read that book and enjoyed it a lot. Another one of the few books I specifically sought to own. It's time for another read-through though.

[inishglora.livejournal.com]

I too loved that book. I lent it out and never got it back but it made an impression on me. Actually, almost all her work hits me where it counts.

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

i've re-read Bird By Bird several times. her advice is sound and speaks of her experience in writing. it's also advice that i found very easy to accept on an intellectual level but far more difficult to accept on an emotional level. (allowing myself to write $hi††¥ first drafts, is a prime example) i tend to buy it every time i see it in a used book store because i know i'll find people to pass it along to.

(fwiw, i find lamott's non-fiction/essay work to be far superior to her fiction.)

i love the intricacies of the loom. it's almost deceptive -- there are a lot of lines, but they're all, basically, only running in two directions. the interplay between them and the way they work together mirror that simple yet complex pattern.

...

[artricia.livejournal.com]

I love Bird by Bird. I teach from it often. "Shitty First Drafts" is well known in my department..