Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

I read his book about twenty years ago as an inspiration, and as a guide to living well. The book is a guide for those people who want to have a kinder approach to themselves. Lamott addresses the voices we keep in our heads, telling us negative verbiage about our own short comings and mistakes in life. The book is truly appropriate in getting anyone back to, as Elton John would say,"still standing." Bird by Bird makes us each stronger, learning to believe in ourselves even if the outside world tends to let us down.

This year, I re-read the book as an author. It is f the most astute and thorough book about the craft of writing I have read. The questions it answers are related to the everyday commitment of writing, steadily attending to the craft of writing. The book is a must read for anyone, frustrated or not by rejection letters or self-criticism. I recommend it highly!

-Breton W Kaiser Taylor ( )

Anne Lamott is delightful, resonating with with honesty, insight and humor. She is capital "W," Writer. It is her life's work and vocation. Her relationship with writing is complicated and messy, yet devoted - like a on again, off again love affair.

For me, someone who aspires to be a small "w" writer, it was both inspiring. Her main argument is this: that the process of writing itself makes the process worth it - it is a beautiful mix of introspection, pain, repulsion, and hopefully discovery and redemption, in its truest sense.

Few books have I laughed out loud at so much. Did I mention she's a delight? Highly recommended for Writers or aspiring writers and anyone else wanting to learn something about life. ( )

This is the best book I’ve read so far on writing. Better than Stephen King’s for me because it focused more on the mental load writing has a reputation for and called bullshit on it. I dig it. ( )

Anne Lamott provides some good insight in her writing how-to book. She makes writing sound fun and hard, worthwhile but not utopian.

I believe many of her insights are things that need to be experienced by a writer themselves, not something they read about first. It’s more of a “recovering writer” book than a primer for new ones. Lamott can tell you about how she felt, but until you go through it yourself, it’s not fully real. I don’t mean this in a bad way. I think you have to feel and experience the things she’s talking about before you can see their true value. But it’s nice to read about it after the fact to see that there are others like you out there.

Probably the most useful insight she offered to me was a quote from E. L. Doctorow: “writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way” (p. 18). Another great quote of hers is “You wouldn’t be a writer if reading hadn’t enriched your soul more than other pursuits” (p. 204). Well said. ( )

Funny, wise, practical, inspiring--just such a good book. ( )