The Writing Life
Ratings16
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings16
Average rating4.2
A meditative reflection in anecdote and vignette on Annie Dillard's writing process. Beautiful and vivid prose.
Annie Dillard has written eleven books, including the memoir of her parents, An American Childhood; the Northwest pioneer epic The Living; and the nonfiction narrative Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. A gregarious recluse, she is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Reviews with the most likes.
I love this book. One of the best pieces about writing and what it means to be a capital “W” writer.
Dette er ikke en bok for hvem som helst - og med det plasserer jeg meg fint inn under kategorien åndssnobb - til det er den for spesiell i tematikken og for krevende i i sin snirklede og fragmenterte stil. Men hvis du vil jobbe litt med teksten du leser, bli utfordret av kreative setninger, jobbe litt med å komme forfatteren unger huden, så er dette en fabelaktig vakker bok om utfordringene som ligger der og venter på hvem som helst som i det hele tatt har tenkt tanken å skrive en bok. Den beveger seg som Dillards How to teach a Stone to Talk i grenselandet mellom natur og kultur, og danser litt på skrivebordene til kjente, klassiske forfattere. Det er veldig vakkert, selv om livet som forfatter blir beskrevet som en tung kamp i hardt, isolert landskap uten kontakt med omverdenen. Litt amerikansk Abruzzo over dette. Anbefales.
The basic message here is that writing is like wrestling alligators, if you're doing it right. It's a good reminder. The only way to do it well is to be immersed in it.
Sometimes you randomly select a book to read when you've nothing else to do and that book hits you in the forehead and say, “Hello, you. I am exactly what you needed to hear at this exact moment.”
Writers, you should read this book. In fact, we should all read the first chapter every day before we sit down to write. And every time I have a difficult writing decision to make, I am going to ask myself, as Annie Dillard does, “Are you a woman or a mouse?”
The only problem is that now I want to go live in a cabin. Who is going to write me the inspirational writing book that describes how to carve an insanely productive and satisfying writing life between the school bells?
