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Title: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
ISBN: 0385480016
Author:
Anne Lamott
Publicate Date: 1995-09-01
Publish: 1995-09-01
List Price: $14.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $8.19
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $3.95
Amazon Merchant Price: $10.17
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Not my favorite writing book...
We used this as a text for my writing class. My professor said it was great, but it didn't help me much. I've read better.
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2: Learn to become a better writer and a better you.
Very interesting read that offers sound, simple strategies sure to improve your writing. I especially enjoyed LaMott's tidbits that offer some insight into overcoming life's obstacles. I found an audio recording from LaMott called WORD BY WORD and played it for some of my English students at an alternative high school. They loved it. They laughed and shared similar anecdotes from their own lives. LaMott's writing is a great example of strong voice. Her honesty and vulnerability resonates on each page and is truly admirable.
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3: BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott
Bird by Bird is a 1994 book on writing and life by novelist and writing instructor Anne Lamott. This is partly a book on writing and partly a memoir - obviously, when writers write books on writing, this is not an infrequent combination, although Lamott more or less melds them inextricably together - there is no "writing" section and "memoir" section.
There is relatively little in Bird by Bird on craft. Lamott gives a few tips on plotting, character and dialogue, but by and large she's more concerned with the writer's mindset (and telling her little stories). Lamott talks at length here about the writer's mindset, and this is where Bird by Bird makes good. She gets writing and the writing process, and she discusses it empathetically. Writers who experience anxiety, frustration and writer's block will relate to her, although she does seem to be more schizophrenic than most.
Lamott's style will turn some readers off. She is mildly humorous, but she tends to ramble on frequently, and readers who do not think she's particularly funny will find her writing style tiresome. Lamott talks often about God and spirituality, but she ascribes to an annoyingly vague and general mysticism.
Bird by Bird is going to be hit or miss with most people. If you're a writer looking for tips on craft, look elsewhere. If you're a writer looking for someone to sympathize with your travails and encourage you to keep at it, Lamott is it.
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4: Wonderful Book!
Lamott frames her book with the story of her then elementary school-aged brother's struggle to complete an assigned book report on birds. Lamott recalls her father's advice to his overwhelmed son--"Just take it bird by bird," he said. This is the main message of Lamott's book as well, as she outlines specific techniques writers can use to break the process of creative writing down into digestible pieces, and how to take it one step at a time. Lamott truly demystifies the writing process with this book, debunking romantic, writerly myths--for example, that good writing is easy if you have true talent; that if you encounter struggles committing your words to the page, you simply are not that talented. Lamott honestly reveals her own personal pitfalls, challenges and frustrations as a writer; and a successful one at that. She also provides insights into the particular joys of writing, and encourages writers to keep at it through the challenges. The book is funny, provocative, practical, poignant, and a very enjoyable read. Building on her father's advice on writing a book report on birds, Lamott breaks down the process of writing as she experiences it, and presents a veritable road map of what to expect at each step of the way. She wraps this road map within a delightful personal narrative about her writing life, teasing out the lessons she has learned across time. By combining an entertaining personal narrative with very pragmatic writing advice, Lamott succeeds to creating not only an enjoyable book, but one that can be extremely helpful to writers of all stripes, as well as teachers of creative writing. As the title suggests, "Bird by Bird: Some Instruction of Writing and Life," Lamott also manages to contextualize writing within the "bigger picture" of day to day life; she points out the sometimes intimate connections between being a writer and searching for a deeper purpose and meaning. She emphasizes that to develop as a writer, one should strive also to develop a broader perspective about life.
In sum, the focus on process, and what challenges may be considered "perfectly normal" can help put many student writers' minds at ease. The book reminds them that they are not alone. In fact, it helps them to realize that their experiences are, in fact, what writing is all about.
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5: Refreshing and Encouraging
The pressure is tremendous. To write a review of a book on writing -- the review almost has to smack of winning a Pulitzer. Well, I'm no writer, so I'll do my best.
The frankness of Lamott is very refreshing. So many books on writing just cover the technical approaches and don't really address the psychological factors. And when they do address them, it's usually couched in too much politically correct bile. Not so with Anne -- she tells it like it is. A breath of fresh air.
Some sections in the middle of the book were a little slow. Maybe because those sections sound so much like many other books. Just skim through those sections. It's easy to spot parts that are intellectually and emotionally stimulating.
Will this book make you a writer? Who knows. But it will give you more confidence in expressing what you feel is important. If a book does that, then I think it is a success.
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