Anne LaMott's Bird by Bird, a few other great craft books, and some other books as well--

In the interests of honesty, I should first share that I do not usually like to read craft books. I love a good workshop, and I enjoy being in a class or small writing group, but I tend to not read books about how to write. That all said, I'm thoroughly enjoying LaMott's Bird by Bird! 

I sat out on the deck yesterday afternoon, getting a little "Vitamin D Therapy" and listening to the actual birds. We've had a small stack of these books on the shelf at school for years; a former teacher ordered them to use, but then moved on shortly thereafter. I've never really been tempted until now, but since it's been officially decided that I'm going to teach a creative writing class in the fall, I figured I'd better amass our resources and see what I may need to order-- purchase orders must be completed before we leave for the summer, and I'm ready to go. So, I picked up the book, carried it around in my tote bag for a few days, and finally opened it yesterday. 

My goodness! What a surprise to find someone else in the world who has some of the same quirks and struggles! She has a voice in text that makes me think she'd be a lot of fun to sit and have a gin and tonic with her. I have finished half the book already (it's very readable), and I'm so glad I finally put aside my aversion to craft books. 

Years ago, I read Mary Oliver's The Poetry Handbook, and it, too, was awesome to read. I tried to read a few others some time back, and I still own them, but very few are really all that readable. Of my favorite "craft" books to just read is Dawn Potter's A Poet's Sourcebook and The Conversation: Learning to be a Poet, and Baron Wormser's The Surge of Language. I've slogged through Richard Hugo's The Triggering Town, and it left me flat. Other people love it, so don't take my word for it. Or do, but get it yourself and give it a go. I don't yet have a copy of Stephen King's On Writing, but I probably should read it... 

I feel the same way about biography and autobiography; I've found a few that were really insightful and enjoyable, but precious few. Pat Summitt's Sum It Up was superb, if you are looking for a recommendation. As I'm getting older, I find I have a lot more patience for nonfiction, so perhaps that's a new avenue for me to explore. I have a few books lined up, just in case. 

It's almost summer, and I usually amass a reading pile and then work my way through it. I'm still not sure if I'll have jury duty in July, so my reading list is going to be a little shorter; that's okay, though, because my family has gifted me with quite a few books I've yet to get to, so I should not go without reading material. 

Have a super day,

C