In a Field of Words: A Creative Writing Text

Rating:
Summary: A really good book for new writers
Review: This book is very useful for student writer groups! I had worn out the exercises in THE CRAFT OF POETRY; this book has maybe a couple of hundred exercises, some in a special section and some at the end of each chapter. The exercises are fun and productive, mostly easier than those in THE CRAFT OF POETRY, and they are in several genres. I am glad I found this.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Readable Book, fun for students and teachers alike
Review: This is an amazing book! Opening it for teaching ideas (which are abundant and enticing), I find myself reading for pure pleasure, as I would in a rich anthology -- dipping in and out of the book and finding, on every page, something compelling, delightful, and relevant. Different from most creative writing texts, even the authors' exposition is engaging, like a good conversation with trusted teachers who know their students well: know their interests and frames of reference, their misunderstandings and apprehensions about writing, and their needs for a wide range of choices of writing activities. I've been writing and publishing for years, but I'm getting many new ideas for myself, including different ways to keep a journal and kinds of poems I'd never thought about writing. I can hardly wait to share this book with my students.