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- Simple advice from a book ahead of its time
- The inspiration for The Artist's Way
- Becoming a Writer - Dorothea Brande
- not just another book on writing
- For Inspiration and Wisdom
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Becoming a Writer
Dorothea Brande
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If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit
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ASIN: 0874771641 |
Amazon.com
Even in 1934, Dorothea Brande knew that most writers didn't need another book on "technique" -- and this, before so many more would be published. No, she realized, as John Gardner notes in his foreword, "the root problems of the writer are personality problems," and thus her wise book is designed to simply help you get over yourself and start writing, with techniques ranging from a simple declaration to write every day at a fixed time -- no matter what -- to exercises that come close to inventing the TM and self-actualization movements that would follow a few decades later.
Customer Reviews:
Simple advice from a book ahead of its time.......2007-10-10
I am not a professional writer, however, I am learning to write ebooks and wanted guidance on getting into the the mindset of being a writer. This book did the job for me. Although written in 1934, the advice is well ahead of its time.
I was procrastinating about writing an ebook for weeks and took the authors advice to start writing as soon as I get up from bed in the morning and write whatever comes to my mind.In other words, let the sub concious come forth with ideas and information. Within 3 days I had completed a draft version of my ebook.
If you want an easy to follow book on becomming a writer, I would recommend this to anyone.
The inspiration for The Artist's Way.......2007-08-19
Long before Julia Cameron gave budding artists a creative kickstart with "The Artist's Way", Dorothea Brande was coaxing aspiring writers out of self-imposed dry spells, first with her creative writing classes and finally with "Becoming A Writer", which is a Cliff Notes version of the practical lessons she presented to one roomful of disillusioned students after another during the 1920s.
"Becoming a Writer" was originally published in 1934. Long before introspection became the norm in our society, Ms. Brande addressed the fears and frustrations that prevent writers from maximizing their true potential. She proposed a series of exercises to get one's creative mechanisms in gear and make the act of writing so automatic that self-censorship loses its hold. She scorned the adage that where writing was concerned, "true genius can't be taught", elevating the hopes of her students and the hackles of the existing literary community, which (figuratively) shot interlopers on sight. By encouraging the use of daily writing, regular exercise, and heavy doses of reading as the means of unlocking creative power, Ms Brande probably saved many new authors from seeking inspiration in a bottle of bathtub gin.
It's a small book, and the content is sparse compared to the huge volumes that occupy the shelves in the Writers and Writing sections of bookstores, but in the case of "Becoming A Writer", a little says a lot.
Becoming a Writer - Dorothea Brande.......2007-08-17
Excellent book for all beginning writers and is just as useful for those who have been writing for a while. Mrs Brande attacks the subject in a witty and encouraging way so that one's enthusiasm is fired up once again. Well worth having on your book shelf.
not just another book on writing.......2007-01-10
this book is different - you won't find tips or methods on technique or style. brande provide no analysis of the myth structure, for instance, or how to make characters real. rather, it's a manual on how to nurture the philosophy, lifestyle, and attitude of a writer. in essence, its a guide to training your subconscience so you can tap into it and become a writer.
among her exercises, she suggests waking up an hour early and writing. in this early morning, you catch the subconscience in the act, if you will, and allows you to capture some of the precious thoughts before your conscienceness has a chance to edit and censor. she goes on to help you learn how you can harness that subconscience thought at will, and evoke it whenever you want to write, and so overcome writer's block.
i found her approach fresh, and felt that she addresses the more spiritual or less concrete side of being a writer, where many other books tend to fall short. she helped bridge the gap of wanting to be a writer and learning to become one, not through learning technique, necessarily, but through learning how to think and feel like an actor. i keep a copy by my bedside and refer to it periodically when i feel stuck or uninspired in my writing.
For Inspiration and Wisdom.......2006-12-28
I love this book and have read it again and again. She's absolutely on target as to her advice on how to write and what habits to adopt as a writer.
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- Brilliant early Merton
- A very warm, human effort showing the man the way he was.
- Merton: The battle between Monk & Man
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Entering the Silence: Becoming a Monk and a Writer (The Journals of Thomas Merton, V. 2)
Thomas Merton
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ASIN: 0060654775 |
Book Description
The second volume of Thomas Merton's "gusty, passionate journals" (Thomas Moore) chronicles Merton's advancements to priesthood and emergence as a bestselling author with the surprise success of his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain. Spanning an eleven-year period, Entering the Silence reflects Merton's struggle to balance his vocation to solitude with the budding literary career that would soon established him as one of the most important spiritual writers of our century.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant early Merton.......2001-06-05
Thomas Merton's journals take up here in the momonastery in Gethsemani abbey in Kentucky in the 1940"s. An expurgated version of these entries has previously been published as THE SIGN OF JONAS,my personal favorite before the publication in the late 1990's of these unexpurgated diaries.Here we see the dutiful young monk, full of the zeal of the newly converted, seeing all of his brothers as "signs of God's wonder and Mercy." Needless to say, the tomne shifts slightly as the aura of conversion wears a bit, and Merton is given time to write. One of his most famous pieces done while he was on watch in the abbeys fire tower is included here, without the editing. Firewatch in and of itself is worth the price of the book. We begin to see here Mertons wish for a life of more seclusion, and here he mentions the Carthusians and the camaldolese as possible places he could find that solitude.{a wish that he held,apparantly until the end of his life]Merton's insaitable curiousity,his honesty in dealing with himself and his foibles, and his crystaline perceptions on the life of the spirit are being formed here in this volume. Indispensible for Merton fans, and welcomed to any who seek the path trod by a spiritual giant, and a very honest man.
A very warm, human effort showing the man the way he was........1998-07-11
When Thomas Merton retreated from the civilized mainstream to enter the Trappist Monastery at Gethsemani, an unknowing observer might view his spiritual struggle as ending, becoming completely lost in the routine of monastic life, its repetition and overt acceptance of spiritual discipline. The battle against personal desire versus group obedience to higher powers beyond flesh and blood one would assume to have been a forgone conclusion. Merton brilliantly shows us, however, that within the souls of men the battle still rages. And it is how he dealt with that struggle that makes this book so marvelous. His caring and loving approach to life and others is tempered with griping about the choir's proficiency, the demands of writing within the monastic framework, the lack of understanding by superiors and comrades in spiritual arms concerning his shifting spiritual needs, for solitude, quiet and letting God sort things out for him, vice pushing his own, highly tempered will into the whirling mixture that made up this complex, brilliant man. The writing is first rate, his descriptions of the surrounding countryside are marvelously genuine as is his analyis of himself and his motives. (like to move onto a more strict, Carthusian order to reach the apotheosis of perfect contemplation). This book is a good building block for future reading of this author and I would recommend reading the entire biography/journals before even wandering into the not so clearly written efforts of Merton's theological books. Many thanks to the publisher for finally making such great writing available!!
Merton: The battle between Monk & Man.......1996-10-14
The second of Merton's private journals in a series of seven, editor John Montaldo
brings out the struggle that Thomas Merton, already a noted writer and critic,
endured during his earliest monastic days (1940-early 1950s). Merton
tackles a sort-of internal battle between the man who writes in the wee hours,
and communicates with his New York society friends (among them was poet Mark van Doren!),
and the monk who seeks to live out the Rule of St. Benedict to its fullest extent.
First time Merton readers might be lost, but Montaldo skillfully fills in the details
so that all readers will be able to focus on the struggle between man and Creator.
Seasoned Merton fans will be given a deeper appreciation for the writer and devout
monastic that emerged as a result of that internal confrontation.
Not something to pass over!
Book Description
Using no-nonsense language, realistic examples, easy-to-follow steps and practical exercises, this book guides students through various types of public relations writing. A focus on ethical and legal issues is woven throughout, with examples and exercises that deal with public relations as practiced by corporations, non-profit agencies, and other types of organizations large and small. In addition, the book addresses the most comprehensive list of public relations writing formats to be found anywhere--from old standbys like news releases to electronic mail and other opportunities in new technologies.
Laying the foundation for an integrated approach that touches on public relations advertising and direct mail, this second edition is divided into four parts. Part I deals with principles of effective writing useful in all disciplines. Part II focuses on news as the bridge an organization can build to its various publics. Part III takes you through a variety of writing formats and environments that provide an internal or controlled approach. Part IV is the wrap up that pulls together the various writing styles presented in this book as part of an integrated communication package.
Becoming a Public Relations Writer is a different kind of textbook for college and university students. It provides writing instruction for people preparing to enter the profession and guides students with models and step-by-step patterns designed to increase competence and build confidence in students on their way to becoming public relations writers.
Customer Reviews:
Sound, practical advice.......2007-07-20
Both students and working professionals will find much to learn in this college textbook. The writing and process guidelines are sound, detailed, and practical. The numerous examples and tips for writing different types of PR materials are very helpful for understanding their purpose and use. However, the chapters on writing marketing materials detract from the focus of the book and offer necessarily limited info. Writing skills for these materials are best learned in other, marketing-focused books where they can receive a full presentation.
Useful book.......2006-08-07
Very thorough, modern text that will guide you through the aspects of public relations writing. Lots of exercises in each chapter designed to get you thinking and writing. Practical, useful tips for anyone trying to break into the field or just polish up skills.
Great!.......2005-09-29
This book was sent to me in record time, and the book looks like it was barely used. And the price! It couldn't be beat!
Book Description
Jane Austen was a great novelist and one of the central figures of English literature, but she herself lived a quiet and uneventful life, mostly in the two Hampshire villages of Steventon and Chawton. Jon Spence's new biography focuses its attention away from the wider literary and intellectual currents that informed her writing and instead concentrates on the immediate influences on her life and work. Becoming Jane Austen shows how Jane Austen's own personal experiences resonated throughout her work, from her juvenilia to Sanditon.
Customer Reviews:
Loved It!.......2007-10-05
I was skeptical about this book when I got it. But I ended up loving it. The information is presented in a way that makes it very interesting. You get to know more than just Jane, you get to know her family and friends too. I would recommend it to any Jane fan.
Wonderful!.......2007-10-05
This is a wonderful book. It also arrived quickly and in perfect condition! Good Work.
Becoming Jane Austen.......2007-09-01
Very good book---I have read 6 other bios on Jane Austen this book was one
of the best.
Very engaging pop-history woven with lit crit.......2007-08-03
Spence is a scholar but here he is writing for the public. He appears to draw heavily from published anthologies of Austen's letters, the Austen family will, etc., rather than primary sources themselves. This is information that readers could have sought out on their own or found in another biography. Where Spence shines is in his inter-weaving of family biography with literary critique, and, perhaps more controversially, his attempts to explicitly link events/people in Austen's life to her fictional characters and senarios.
I would consider this a fairly edgy enterprise relative to the work of "traditional" historians. Still, the discipline has, like others, changed over the past several decades, and not only recognizes the impossibility of objectivity, but allows for more explicit individual interpretation. And in fact, most of Spence's extrapolations are not only fascinating but well-supported; for example, his contention that Austen's own family history laid the groundwork for the three Ward sisters' differing marriages (in Mansfield Park) makes perfect sense. A minority of his contentions appears to have involved a bit too much creative interpretation, but one can simply research those on one's own or come to one's own conclusions.
To read this book is to be impressed by the very fragility of life--especially for childbearing women--in early 19th century England. The book is riddled with so many early (under 30) and childbirth deaths, it appears amazing women agreed to marriage in the first place. But that, of course, is Spence's second achievement: impressing upon us the deeply precarious financial position in which women found themselves, unable to earn their own keep and forced to rely on the support of a brother, husband, or the bequest of a dying relation.
My only problem with the book is the slightly prosaic writing style, the repeated use of slangy words (i.e. tetchy) and the puzzling reliance on second-person address (i.e. "You see.." "You read this and feel..."). I have never read a work by a professional historian to refer directly to readers and not to the general populace ("one feels..." "one can see...").
Novel-like in its readability, thoughtful and unafraid of contention, Becoming Jane Austen deserves a place on the shelf of every English lit or history fan, Austenite or no.
Ripped off?.......2007-06-23
I saw this paperback movie tie-in last night and grabbed it.
I love Jane and am looking forward to the film. I've read a
number of bios of Jane over the years and this one looks
interesting.
However, I have to give a thumbs down to the publisher.
Where are the illustrations that are clearly listed in
the text? The author obviously included them in the
original edition, but they are gone from this one.
When I pay $15 for a book, even a paperback, I expect
to get the WHOLE book, illustrations included. The
paperback edition of "Queen Isabella" by Allison Weir,
which was about the same price, included ALL the
illustrations from the original, and in color! So
what's the deal with Continuum? I'd return the book.
except I still want to read it. Maybe I'll get it
out of the library and see what I'm missing!
Amazon.com
Legends have attached themselves to Laura Ingalls Wilder, beloved author of the eight Little House novels, but what are the facts? Fans are familiar with her early pioneer years up to her marriage, at age 19, to Almanzo Wilder. But before this biography, little has been known about her adult years. This detail-packed biography amends that. John E. Miller has availed himself of myriad primary sources--Ingalls Wilder's unpublished autobiography, letters, her newspaper stories, and other documentary materials. Miller's approach is to track her evolution into one of American's most popular children's writers, a formidable challenge, because she left behind little in the way of personal revelation. Published between 1932 and 1943, the Little House novels were immediately seized upon; strangely, Ingalls Wilder did not begin her career as a novelist until she was in her mid-60s.
What happened between the adolescent years, dramatized in her novels, and the period between 1943 and 1957, when she was basking in the glow of her readers' affection? "To write her 'autobiographical' novels," Miller notes, "Wilder needed to undergo a process of becoming, which depended heavily upon the inheritance that she had received both from her family and, across the years, from the various environments in which she lived."
One minor flaw in this otherwise reverent biography is Miller's incredulity that such an ordinary, farm-town woman could become such a famous and sophisticated author. He strains to identify the extraordinary, formative moments--Wilder's various memberships in local political organizations; her apprenticeship as a farm-journal columnist; her relationship with her talented and precocious daughter, Rose. More interesting is his curiosity about how she came to be an independent career woman in a time of limited options for women, in a place (the Ozarks of Missouri) remote, isolated, and tradition bound.
Ingalls Wilder's daughter, the extraordinary Rose Wilder Lane (prominent in the American literary scenes in the 1920s and 1930s), had a major role in the production of her mother's novels. Indeed, the remarkable mother-daughter relationship itself makes the book well-worth reading. Laura would learn to write from her daughter; however Miller argues against the widely held belief that it was Rose Lane's sophisticated writing skills that transformed and polished her mother's novels.
Miller begins with the history of the Ingalls family and their first settlement, which was in Wisconsin along the banks of the Mississippi River. The history unfolds at a sprightly pace and paints the hardscrabble pioneer life in bright colors--the family's search for good farmland that drives them to Missouri; the physical challenges of the prairie; plagues of locusts; the fragile farm economy; and the burgeoning immigrant population. This biography will appeal to readers already hooked by the Little House series and hungry for the facts of Laura Ingalls Wilder's life independent of the myths that grew out of her fiction. --Hollis Giammatteo
Customer Reviews:
Wish it were a little more personal........2007-02-24
I found this to be a good book, although I wish the author would have personalized Laura a little more. The ongoing battle between mother and daughter might have been overemphasized, but one comes to learn that this probably worked for both of them. I found a lot of good information, but the statistics were a little much. I found myself reading between the lines and wanted to get back to the meat of the story...Laura.
I recommend this book to any Wilder fan, for it does give us a glimpse into the woman she really was. Like anyone else, Laura was only human, faults and all.
Meloni Cassidy
Author of Everlasting Journey
Want to read a colorful biography or a dry history book?.......2006-08-31
I purchased this book to read about how Laura Ingalls Wilder became the celebrated author of the Little House series of books. I was very disappointed, therefore, that this uninsightful, dry, fragmented, and repetitious tome read more like a bad history book with too many statistics, facts and figures, rather than character analysis, leaving me with no more knowledge of Laura's character than before I read it. For example, after describing ad nauseum all the organizations and activities one could possibly participate in their town, the author states that we do not know if Laura and her family enjoyed any of them. It was frustrating to constantly read the words "probably, maybe, if, we can presume ....." The author makes too many assumptions and repeatedly expresses his inability to accurately understand and relay Laura's personal feelings due to the unfortunate lack of diaries, letters, and journals left behind by Mrs. Wilder. Relying too much on her daughter, Rose's writings, he portrays Laura as an overprotective, condescending, controlling mother and a domineering wife who refused to vow to obey her husband during their wedding. Miller is not quite sure he even believes Rose's unflattering portrayal of her mother, because she was mentally ill and emotionally unstable herself. This book contains so much one-sided information about Laura's daughter that it should instead be titled Becoming Rose Wilder Lane.
Well-Researched and Most Interesting.......2005-12-21
Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder is a wonderfully written, detailed account of the real-life, complex woman that scores of American children grew to love through Wilder's award-winning "Little House" series of books. Author, John E. Miller is to be commended for his work, since his was no easy undertaking in telling the story of the celebrated author, who experienced more than a fair share of financial struggles and setbacks, as well as a stormy, difficult relationship with her only child, Rose Wilder Lane.
Faithful readers first got to know Laura and the Ingalls family through Wilder's charming, semi-autobiographical stories of the family's pioneering experiences, as they eked out an existence during the latter part of the 19th Century. John Miller's superbly researched biography brings to palpability the rather ordinary and unexceptional people who later became the characters in Laura's charming stories, elevated to their iconic status by the passage of time and the beauty of Laura's simplistic, unique brand of prose. Miller carefully crafts Laura's story with careful, concurrent attention to the rapidly changing world around Laura's "Little House" stories and the result provides for fascinating reading, steeped in American history. In so telling Laura's story, however, Miller also was confronted with the complicated task of exploring the rather unpleasant, antagonistic relationship shared between Laura and Rose in all the starkness and raw-nerve quality it probably is deserving of, since the information was derived primarily from journals of and correspondence between mother and daughter and not tempered by the author's personal contact, knowledge or emotional involvement with either person.
Miller (wisely) seems to side-step the loaded topic that Rose ghost-wrote her mother's novels. It appears, he himself does not personally subscribe to the idea, yet he handles the issues fairly in his presentation of some of the following facts: Rose typed and edited her mother's hand-written manuscripts, as well as converted the narrations of Laura's writings from first person (which was the style Laura was most comfortable with and therefore utilized in all of the first drafts of her books) to third person; she likewise assisted in the research of historic facts and cultural details that had long-escaped Laura's childhood memories (she was 63 years of age, when she wrote Little House in the Big Woods, the first book in the seven book series), as well as provided a good deal of encouragement and seasoned advice, that Laura most assuredly must have depended upon.
Rose's role in the complicated dynamics of her family was not an easy one. The tragic memories the Dakotas held for Laura and her husband, Almanzo, were no doubt instrumental in their final choice to move to the Ozarks and thereby place a formidable amount of distance between themselves and Laura's family, all of whom remained in various locations in South Dakota for the rest of their lives. Deprived of contact with and moral support from her tightly-knit family and partnered in a long marriage with a man who was old before his time, dour, taciturn and seemingly disappointed with life in general, Laura seemed compelled (by something almost akin to fear) to cling frantically to her only child. Rose, who by all accounts (including the observations recorded in the journal of Laura's youngest sister, Grace) was a precocious and unusually bright child; predictably she was destined to rebel against the smothering attentions her mother focused upon her.
After reading Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder, in my opinion, it seems probable that Laura and Rose formed a symbiotic type of partnership as Laura penned her juvenile series, that has enjoyed decades of acclaim, was adapted for a long-running television series (that took considerable artistic liberties with the actual novels), and inspired a variety of low-budget movies focusing on various phases of Laura's life. Since Rose was a successful author in her own right, the mixed feelings and open resentment she apparently harbored for her mother and her mother's ensuing success as a writer, at times seems like matters of petty jealousy, but also peculiar and prompted by a quirky sense of competitiveness. In Rose's defense, however, the real-life Laura was considerably different (as an adult) than the spunky, "little half-pint" her readers were familiar with; she was seemingly quick-tempered, extremely high-strung, opinionated, nit-picky and with a propensity for nagging. Undoubtedly, much of Laura's anxiousness and over-dependency on the free-spirited Rose was in a large part prompted by the economic uncertainty that apparently plagued Laura and Almanzo for most of their lives. It would have seemed that the financial independence Laura's success as an author provided would have been welcomed by Rose; but, in fact, it appears Rose was rather indifferent to her mother's celebrity and blasé about the critical acclaim of Laura's books.
Any true fan of the "Little House" books will revel in Miller's book. "Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder" provides its readers with a fascinating perspective as it explores the real-life characters Wilder brought to live on the pages of her stories which are rife with the sweet music of Pa's fiddle, swaying covered wagons making their way westward, the lonely howl of a wolf drifting across the dark, silent prairie and the tender comforts of a simpler life in an era long past, but (thankfully) not forgotten.
Fascinating, insightful........2005-11-28
Unlike many of the other reviewers of this book, I wasted no time looking for alleged flaws in this book. As someone who grew up with and was indelibly influenced by Laura's books, I really appreciated no end the look at the woman behind the legend, as the apt title suggests. Miller does a fantastic job of showing how he pieced through all the existing evidence, and of drawing logical conclusions. It must have been a significant challenge to have drawn those conclusions, given that all of the subjects are long dead: in other words, Miller has done our work for us, giving the reader an opportunity to have an absorbing look at the real woman and her family. For any admirer of Laura Ingalls Wilder's timeless, priceless chronicles, they will not want to pass up this invaluable, generously insightful study. I thank John Miller for an incredible job well done.
The Best Book Ever.......2005-04-29
This is by far the most wondeful book you will ever read about
Laura Ingalls. Why? You may ask. Because we finally see Laura for what she is , human. That's right Laura has faults like us all. One point that clearly brings this out is how she ruled the house as well as Almonza and that she did not like going to church. Laura was a very outspoken wonderful person, her books
will always have a special place in my heart. Give this book a try, you will see Laura in a whole new light.
Amazon.com
Wherein we discover that many of the "rules" for good writing and good sex are the same: Keep your hand moving, lose control, and don't think. Goldberg brings a touch of both Zen and well... *eroticism* to her writing practice, the latter in exercises and anecdotes designed to ease you into your body, your whole spirit, while you create, the former in being where you are, working with what you have, and writing from the moment.
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
Natalie Goldberg's love of writing stems from her desire to connect with herself. In this audio version of her bestselling Writing Down the Bones, this is a potentially self-absorbed wish, especially considering that the author reads from her own work and interjects morsels of wisdom gleaned from a long writing career, which includes books on writing (Wild Mind, Long Quiet Highway), creativity (The Well of Creativity), and art (Living Color). However, Goldberg's relaxed narration and Everywoman sensibility help her avoid this danger. The classroom-like reading gives listeners a growing acquaintance with Goldberg and a friendly assurance of her methods as she quips: "you can hear my New York Jewish voice nagging you." The recording also includes an interview with Goldberg, focusing on her use of Zen meditation in writing and offering additional insight into her own rule-free writing habits. (Running time: 9 hours, 6 cassettes) --Bryony Angell
Book Description
The Writing Life Natalie Goldberg & Julia Cameron
Join these two legends of the writer's craft as they open the door to the writer's world for everybody - not just a chosen few. Edgy, surprising, and useful for its hard-won advice, The Writing Life is an invitation to a life-transforming act that requires no more than a pen, some paper, and the will to get started.
Customer Reviews:
My Favorite Writing Guide!.......2007-06-01
My dad gave me this book many years ago. He always had such faith in my writing ability, and he would mail me articles, books, reviews and such all the time.
Thanks to him, I have many writing books -- inspirational, how-to, and so on. This is the only one that is dog-eared and has food and coffee stains on many pages.
I noted that one reviewer thought it was really only a book for those who write poetry. I couldn't disagree more -- I have never written poetry, don't plan on it, and actually don't particularly like it. I mostly write non-fiction articles, and I LOVE the author's philosophy!
I do my research and interviews, read-read-read about whatever subject it is I want to write about, and then when it's time to sit down and write -- I just let it flow. I don't stop to think about it -- I just GO with it. My writing has improved so much this way! I used to try to outline and plan -- and my writing was disastrous. I did not listen to my instincts, which told me that my very best writing was always, without exception, the kind that happened with no planning at all.
If you aren't afraid to write without a "plan", get this book. Even if you DO think you need a plan, get this book. Try a different way of writing, and you just might be surprised at the REAL writer within you, dying to get out and express herself (or himself)!
My problem is not with Natalie Goldberg's book..........2007-05-13
This edition is TINY. I would love to be reviewing Natalie Goldberg's book right now, but apparently Amazon saw fit not to include the warning "This book is only 3 by 4 1/2 inches in size (text inside occupies a 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inch area on the page)."
The is not the sort of book I already have mostly memorized; but if I had, perhaps it would help to have this tiny reference around to jog my memory now and again. Indeed, I do not foresee ever reading it because it is too tiny to hold, or to see. Moreover, since it is a guide to writing, I would ideally like to be jotting notes in the margins. But the margins are about an eighth of an inch wide. So you see my problem.
Amazon, please carry normal sizes. There's a reason for it.
The book that made me a writer.......2007-03-19
This is probably one of the best books ever on the subject of writing. While Goldberg hardly covers anything technical with regards to writing specific genres (be it poetry, novels, magazine articles), she triumphs by enabling the reader to overcome their writer's block, and dare to write about the things that matter to them. Simply follow her technique, apply yourself to it for years, and you will be able to write fluidly and confidently about anything that you know. No more staring at blank pages, no more tearing out your hair to get the right wording. Subsequent to reading this book, I became a poet (see[...]), a songwriter, and a novelist (with one finished book and one draft). I also, over the last ten years, have filled a 7-foot stack of notebooks with my practice writing, and forged a number of friendships over journal writing sessions. Yes, read this book, but as you read, make sure you start writing, so that the inspiration will not just be a passing phase.
THANK YOU NATALIE.......2007-03-18
Dear Natalie (and how many reviews begin with that), thank you so much for writing this book. If it weren't for your guidance, this resistant writer would still be staring out the window of her Maine summer house wishing she could be published (or that she had anything to say for that matter). A great classic book that I recommend to all my sisters on the journey....Sincerely, Pamela D. Blair, Author, The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Midlife and Beyond
Opens your world........2007-03-17
I have used all her advice and boy does it help. This lady knows where she is coming from and thats from the heart of writing. You will hope to meet her in a cafe where you could talk endlessly with her, but this book does just that. Its your meeting with this one of a kind genius who takes you on a journey of storytelling, how its done and all its secrets.
Average customer rating:
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With Pen in Hand: Becoming a Better Writer
Claude Crum
Manufacturer: Parkway Publishers
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ASIN: 1933251328 |
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- Summoning Females to Macho
- You cannot be passive and create.
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Woman in Front of the Sun: On Becoming a Writer
Judith Ortiz Cofer , and
Judith Ortiz Cofer
Manufacturer: University of Georgia Press
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Binding: Paperback
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The Latin Deli: Prose and Poetry
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Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood
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An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio
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The Line of the Sun
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Call Me Maria
ASIN: 0820322423 |
Book Description
In this collection of essays woven with poems and folklore, Judith Ortiz Cofer tells the story of how she became a poet and writer and explores her love of words, her discovery of the magic of language, and her struggle to carve out time to practice her art.
A native of Puerto Rico, Cofer came to the mainland as a child. Torn between two cultures and two languages, she learned early the power of words and how to wield them. She discovered her love for the subtleties, sounds, and rhythms of the written word when a Roman Catholic nun and teacher bent on changing traditions for the better gave her books of high literature to read, some of which were forbidden by the church. Later, as an adult, demands from her family and her profession made it difficult for Cofer to find time to devote to her art, but her need and determination to express herself led to solutions that can help all artists challenged with the limits of time. Cofer recalls the family cuentos, or stories, that inspire her and shows how they speak to all artists, all women, all people. She encourages her readers to insist on the right to be themselves and to pursue their passions.
A book that entertains, instructs, and enthralls, Woman in Front of the Sun will be invaluable to students of poetry and creative nonfiction and will be a staple in every creative writing classroom as well as an inspiration to all those who write.
Customer Reviews:
Summoning Females to Macho.......2002-12-03
I have only recently become acquainted with Ortiz-Cofer's splendid honesty and stretching creativity, yet I am overwhelmed with the power that she exudes in "Woman in Front of the Sun". Having read "The Latin Deli", I was ecstatic when I found another collection that calls her memory and lessons learned to dance for the curiosity of her readers. Aside from the traditional definition of the term, Ortiz-Cofer is powerful through the pure simplicity of her accounts of life. In "Woman in Front of the Sun", she places value on what is valuable, she learns through the grades of life, and she exposes her tender realities to those she hopes will appreciate her. She inspires readers to find the innocence in being "Macho", the same value others might call confidence. By opening the pages of this book, you'll find a comfort similar to that of your own thoughts.
You cannot be passive and create........2001-03-31
I stumbled upon this title while reading an issue of The Oxford American and decided to give it a read. What a revelation! I am not familiar with any of Judith Ortiez Cofer's other works, but if this is any indication, I will be reading them all. A collection of essays, poems and folktales, this book blends the author's emergence as a writer with memories of growing up as a Puerto Rican in Patterson, New Jersey. The influences of the island her parents left behind, the Catholic Church as well as the emerging women's movement, combine with a Growing knowledge that the author wants to write. This is not only an autobiography, it is a compelling argument of why she has answered the call to write, and the struggles with self, that she, as a writer has faced. It examines the drive to create, the forces that pull one away from writing, and the quest to have a place of one's own. In clear, lyrical language, she encourages women to seek a life of truth, no matter the route or medium. She reveals some of the writers (a diverse group) that ignited her imagination and passion for writing. "Take what you can use and let the rest rot" is an expression used, and this book is invaluable to women, actually , to anyone who loves to read and who longs to use words to reach others. The best "writing" book I have read in years, and a treasure to keep.
Customer Reviews:
Look for S. Tchudi instead!.......2004-10-24
I have to agree on several points with the Scholastic reviewer. This is definitely NOT the first book you want to give an aspiring young writer. It does have some good info on the publisher-author-editor relationship, and a few interesting quotes, but it has a number of serious problems.
First, the organization of it is very frustrating. Nothing proceeds logically.
Second, it's unclear what age group is targeted. In one breath the author is unsure whether her readers know what paragraphs are; in the next she's talking about hiring a lawyer.
Third, some of the recommended reading is wildly inappropriate for most kids. It ranges from strange New Age stuff to out-of-date science to Huysmans.
Fourth, the book is primarily aimed at British kids, and Grant's attempts to internationalize it fall short.
Fifth, Grant is just plain not very encouraging. If I were a young person just starting out, this book wouldn't do all that much to encourage me to explore writing further, or think of it as very potentially enjoyable.
In all, this book could be somewhat useful to a young person who's been writing for a while. But for a beginner--no, really for anybody--the book of choice is Stephen Tchudi's "The Young Writer's Handbook." Do what you have to do within the bounds of sanity and legality to get hold of THAT!
In the Inspiration Direction.......2000-12-05
This book is truly a must read book. Between the covers, it is packed with the guidelines for teenagers like me to understand why they write and what they write. It's not another creative writing book, this is for aspiring writers who really want o ahve a career in the literary world. Step by step plans are detailed and yet you still do have the freedom to manuver around and explore. But personally, there were some parts where re-reading had to be done as the statements were not exactly clear.
It has inspired me and helped me along with writing exercises known as "Writer's Notebook" and encourage me to develop my writing passion.
Fantastic book on all aspects of becoming a pro writer.......1999-10-19
I loved this book. It is well written and full of information on how to become a professional writer.
Great book!.......1999-08-10
This book really explained how to publish your work. Before I read it, I was kind of clueless, but now, I'm in the know!
Great book.......1999-08-08
this book is so good! it even helped me publish a book
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