Bird by Bird

Anne Lamott

Reviewed by Suzann Kale

I almost never read a book more than once. This will be my third time through Anne Lamott’s inspirational, super-smart, funny, practical, and ethereal writing guide.

From the first page of the introduction, where the author acquaints us with her childhood and her parents (they were all avid readers and her dad was a writer) to the last page of the final chapter, we are taken on a journey into the workings of the creative mind.

Ms. Lamott is as much a teacher as she is a writer. Her gift is that she makes us all feel special. She establishes a personal relationship with each person who reads BIRD BY BIRD, just as I’m sure she does with each of her workshop students. She trusts us with the tiny details of her writing life, and we in turn trust her. She combines the practical (how to find your unique voice) with the creative (how to scan the far corners of your vision to find material) with the daily how-to’s (how to not get sued for libel) to the emotional (how to stay sane through the process of getting published).

Reading BIRD BY BIRD is like luxuriating in a one-on-one therapy session with someone who knows you very well, wants you to succeed, and actually shows you how. Each time I read it, I discover new things I didn’t see in the previous read. It’s kind of magical that way.