Rating: 
Summary: Who Woulda' Guessed?
Review: My goodness! Who would have guessed that one slim little volume could cause so much controversy!Anne Lamott's National Bestseller, "Bird by Bird," does not promise a complete course in advanced writing. The subtitle says "SOME Instructions on Writing and LIFE." What you see is what you get. This book is a perfect introduction to writing for beginning writers just as, I suspect, LaMott's courses are. More advanced writers should get out their Hi-liters and pay attention not so much to WHAT she says but HOW she says it. It also wouldn't hurt to look at her self deprecating humor (I don't see where these readers are seeing all that self-absorption stuff--I truly don't!)and her honesty. Could some of this be professional jealousy? This is a book that gives what it promises and more! And yes, some of the advice is similar to advice that has been given by others. Writers' books are sort of a genre of their own--in the vein of King's and others. A little memoir, a little humor, a little advice. How much new can be said about how to write anyway?
Writers or wanna be writers should find this a nice, savory little book to be read a little at a time, bird by bird. Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place" --This text refers to the Paperback edition
Rating: 
Summary: Anne is irresistible!
Review: What do you get when you put pure honesty, dread locks, knowledge about the writing life, and a comedian into one recipe? Yes. You've got it. Anne Lamott! "Bird by Bird" is no exception. Anne's advise is priceless. "Writing can be a pretty desperate endeavor, because it is about some of our deepest needs: our need to be visible, to be heard, our need to make sense of our lives, to wake up and grow and belong." -Anne Lamott- Wow
I could have written this. I believe that all writers must feel the same way...
"Writing" helps us to make sense out of our lives. Especially if we go deep enough. The deeper we go the more we find out about ourselves... And you may not like what you find. "Remember, you own what happened to you." -Anne Lamott- Nobody else has experienced the same life as you have. Nobody. You own your own experience. Isn't that exciting! So, why not share that particular experience with somebody else. They might be better because of it! "Bird by Bird" is stuffed with information... Anne tells us how to get started, how to write dialouge, How do
we know when we are done, Plot treatments, Perfectionism, and of course, (one of my favorites) Shitty first drafts. Anne is irresistible because of her honesty...we love her for that. We believe her. And we want her as one of our girlfriends. "Let's go for a glass of merlot, Anne, and discuss the writing life, Christianity, kids, whatever!" "The Great writers keep writing about the cold dark place within, the water under a frozen lake or the secluded, camouflaged hole. The light they shine on this hole, this pit, helps cut away or step around the brush and brambles; then we can dance around the rim of the abyss, holler into it, measure it, throw rocks in it, and still not fall in" - LAMOTTE- Beats a therapist!
Rating:
Summary: More Mallowcups for Anne
Review: My gratitute for this work is boundless. Lawrence Kushner says it for me: "Everyone carries with them at least one and probably many pieces to someone else's puzzle. Sometimes they know it. Sometimes they don't. And when you present your piece which is worthless to you, to another, whether you know it or not, whether they know it or not, you are a messenger of the Most High." I believe this work loosens up the reader to become a puzzle-piece bearer. And though I do not often think our pieces are worthless, Kushner's point is clear; we have a little bit in our pocket belonging to someone else, and Anne Lamott helps us give it. Thanks, Anne.
Rating:
Summary: Transformational
Review: I have worked to improve my writing skills for several years. At some point last year I realized that I had more of a psychological block about writing, than lack of skill. Anne's book was a blessing in both making me realize that we are all on the same boat as far as writing fears. It also provided valuable information on taking on writing projects. It is also funny, witty and beautifully written. In short, she practice what she preaches. Thank you Anne!
Rating:
Summary: Quietly inspiring
Review: Anne Lamott has written the first openly honest book about the process of writing that I have read, and it was amazingly refreshing to have this perspective. She doesn't get all dewey-eyed about the wonder and the joy that is being a published author; in fact, she does quite the opposite. Without being overly-negative, Lamott points out the many pitfalls and false expectations so many of us aspiring authors are going to fall into. There's a bit that sums this up for me: "But their fantasy of what it means to be published has very little to do with reality. So I tell them about my four-year-old son Sam, who goes to a little Christian preschool where he recently learned the story of Thanksgiving. A friend of his, who is also named Sam but who is twelve years old and very political, asked my Sam to tell him everything he knew about the holiday. So my Sam told him this lovely Christian-preschool version of Thanksgiving, with the pilgrims and the Native Americans and lots of lovely food and feelings. At which point Big Sam turned to me and said, somewhat bitterly, 'I guess he hasn't heard about the small-pox-infected blankets yet.' Now, maybe we weren't handing out those blankets yet; maybe we were still on our good behavior. But the point is that my students, who so want to be published, have not yet heard about the small-pox-infected blankets of getting published. So that's one of the things I tell them." And so she does - she tells us about what torture it can be not only to try to get published, but to suffer through the writing process itself. Lamott is every bit as neurotics as the rest of us, and makes no bones about expressing her neuroses - she is as honest as we could possibly hope for. But even though she points out those booby traps that we have yet to experience, she still allows her love of writing to shine through, simultaneously encourages us all to Just Keep Writing while managing our expectations of what will come of it. I'm intensely grateful for her voice of experience, and now I feel that I have distanced myself from a lot of the dreams of fame and glory I had about Publishing A Book - writing shouldn't be about that, it should be about writing "the truth as I see it," even if what I write is a work of complete fiction. Lamott notes many of the mistakes new writers make, including assuming that everything which has happened to us is inherently interesting, making every character sound and feel the same, writing horrible dialogue, not letting characters determine their own destinies, and forcing a plot to do what we want it to do. She offers solid advice on how to get around these issues, and gives us examples of her writing as well as others' to guide us. This is not a quick, light read by any standard - it's a two- or three-day investment in learning how to be a better writer. There are parts which are somewhat disheartening, but Lamott always manages to bring back a writer's enthusiasm for doing what we love - that's the whole point of the book. Her writing style is very entertaining, no-nonsense, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny; if the reader cannot see him- or herself thinking or doing many of the same things Lamott does, I would be very surprised. I really recommend this book to anyone who would like to become a published author, or for that matter, anyone who writes for any reason at all. Wonderful advice with a realistic edge.
Rating:
Summary: Not just about writing, but a life guide and a hoot to boot!
Review: Anne Lamott is such a terrific writer in so many ways. She has the driest, funniest way of putting things and she melds her spiky, sparkling humor here with her instructions on writing. The book came out of a writing class she'd taught, but even readers not the slightest bit interested in learning how to write will benefit from reading Lamott's book. After all, it is subtitled, "Some Instructions on Writing and Life." Some of the gems herein: "The very first thing I tell my new students on the first day of a workshop is that good writing is about telling the truth. We are a species that needs and wants to understand who we are. Sheep lice do not seem to share this longing, which is one reason they write so very little." "My Al-Anon friend told me about the frazzled, defeated wife of an alcoholic man who kept passing out on the front lawn in the middle of the night. The wife kept dragging him in before dawn so the neighbors wouldn't see him, until finally an old black woman from the South came up to her one day after a meeting and said, 'Honey? Leave him lay where Jesus flang him.' And I am slowly, slowly in my work--and even more slowly in real life--learning to do this." "[In publication,] there are arenas full of potential for rich reward, where your life and your sense of self and of abundance really can be changed. (All of a sudden I cannot remember if we are allowed to use the word 'abundance' in California anymore. I will have to get back to you on this.)" Lamott is so self-deprecating and thoughtful and slyly funny that it's like the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down--you realize you've learned something without any of the attendant boring parts. It's all, all good here.
Rating:
Summary: A turning point
Review: A favorite college professor handed me this book my senior year, after she read a very personal piece of my writing. I can honestly say that reading this book was a turning point in my life. Anne Lamott's writing is so authentic and personal that you feel she is your friend, that she has written this book for you. Lamott gives practical, humorous advice to get you through writing and life, just as the title suggests. Bird by Bird makes you realize that neither writing nor living, nor writing about your life, is as frightening and overwhelming as it sometimes seems. Lamott tells of the trials that have forged her personality...-her decision to be a single mother, overcoming alcoholism--and when you read her nonfiction, you sense you can trust her because she is wise beyond her years. This is someone who has really LIVED her life, with all the pain and joy required. If you have never read anything by Anne Lamott, I suggest Bird by Bird and Traveling Mercies. I also loved her weekly columns..., and hope she resumes writing columns someday.
Rating:
Summary: A Generous Work
Review: Anne Lamott manages to pass on some helpful meat-and-potatoes suggestions on writing and living, and let the reader laugh at her and themselves in the bargain. Her writing is warm and sharp and honest, and her story is inspiring. A must-read for anyone who wants to write.
Rating:
Summary: I Loved This Book!
Review: Not only is this a beautifully crafted book, it is so full of insight and humor I cannot imagine ANYONE not loving it. It should be required reading in every high school English class. I loved the very human qualities of the author, but did not lose sight of her gifts of wisdom. Her sense of humor had me laughing all the way to the end. I was just sorry it wasn't longer, because I didn't want it to be over. It's a book I'd never loan and will read again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!!!
Review: When I was in 5th grade, I had a horrible teacher named Mrs. Aldridge. Being only 10, I was still relatively optimistic. The world had not yet made me cynical. I still believed what my parents had always taught me, that I could do whatever I wanted if I set my mind on it. Mrs. Aldridge taught me a good (or, rather, bad) lesson that led me to not believe this. Growing up I had always wanted to be a writer. The mere sight of a freshly sharpened pencil created a burning desire in me to put words to paper. Mrs. Aldridge killed that desire in a matter of minutes. Instead of nurturing and encouraging this desire, she criticized and ridiculed this student's early, unexperienced efforts. The desire of that 10-year-old lay dead and buried for 13 years. Anne Lamott's wonderful book, "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life," served to resurrect a bit of that lost desire. Encouragement served with some laughter and a few tears, Lamott writes honestly about the writing life. She pulls no punches when it comes to matters like publication and all the other highs and lows of a writers life. She gives writing tips, inspiration and the amazing encouragement only a teacher of writing can. Lamott's humor shines through and makes "Bird by Bird" a highly enjoyable, yet educational read. And, sorry, Mrs. Alridge, but Ms. Lamott taught me something that you never could...to follow my heart and write because I enjoy it, whether I am ever published or not. Because to do what you enjoy makes life worth living. And I can do it, if I set my mind to it.
| 
