Thursday, May 11, 2006

Books about writing are such a personal thing - I've had friends thrust books into my hand that I just can't bear - which means I'm hesitant about giving my own favourites but I've just had to do this for a magazine and wanted to share. So here goes... These are the books I LOVE and would never ever lend to anyone!
Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind, Shambhala Publications Inc
Anne Lammot, Bird by Bird, Anchor Press
Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux, The Poets Companion, W W Norton
John Lee, Writing From the Body, St Martin’s Griffin
Julia Cameron, The Artists Way, Pan Books
Annie Dillard, The Writing Life, Harper Perennial
Susan Wooldridge, Poemcrazy, Random House

9 comments:

Susannah Conway said...

Goldberg, Lamott and Cameron i have and agree, they are wonderful - Cameron's Right to Write i've also found so helpful. as for the others, i think a trip to amazon might be in order!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the reading list! I have heard so many great things about all of these books -- and I have read NONE of them. I think I'll replace my usual summer beach-book reading with these!

Sarah Salway said...

My pleasure, Neil - and Susannah, can't wait to hear what you think about the others. The only trouble is the time spent reading these books takes away from actually writing!!!

P. A. Moed said...

I don't know Lee's work. But since you recommend it so highly, I will!

P. A. Moed said...

I don't know Lee's work. But since you recommend it so highly, I will!

Anonymous said...

The only ones I've read from that list are 'Writing Down the Bones' and 'Bird by Bird'. Both were excellent books.

I must confess, though, after enjoying Lamott's writing book so much, I explored some of her fiction, and simply could not stomach the stuff. Far too sentimental for my cynical tastes.

Patry Francis said...

Writing from the Body: a very intriguing title. I'll have to look for that one.

Sarah Salway said...

Haven't read Lamott's fiction, Patricia - but I've noticed there's often a very different writing style between fiction and non-fiction. And I'll put up an exercise from Lee's book so you can get an idea. It suits me, but as I said this is a really personal area!

Anonymous said...

Julia Cameron - definitely! My comment's on amazon for her Artist's Way workbook