Dani Shapiro's book "Still Writing"
Today I am grateful for the soothing sounds of our house in the early morning. I am also grateful for good books to read.
I just finished reading Dani Shapiro's most recent book Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life. It was the second of Shapiro's books I have read, the first being Devotion. I really enjoyed Devotion, a memoir about her spiritual journey. I further enjoyed Still Writing. Dani Shapiro reminds me of one of my other favorite writers-Anne Lamott. Sense of humor. Unexpected zinger phrases. Genuine. I would love to chat over coffee with these two women. In the meantime, I will glean what I can from their work.
Shapiro wrote a lot about the solitary life of a writer and how we are driven to write by our creative ambition. How we need to write. It is what writers do. That resonates with me. Writing first saved me from my own toxic thoughts and emotions and now continues to take me to new levels of awareness about myself and the world around me.
She also wrote about how we need to be patient with ourselves, with the creations that are brewing within. The more I write, the more I follow a routine and regimen-like with this blog-the more I understand the ebb and flow of my own writing. Some days the flow is strong. On other days it is more stagnant. But I trust both kind of days now and see them as necessary to my writing.
Similar to Shapiro, I prefer to start essays, columns, and blog posts in long-hand. Putting pen to paper is a connection for me that is hard to describe. It is natural. It is my heart flowing through my pen. I must admit that I do start more blog posts right on my computer these days, as it becomes more convenient, but I will always honor pen and paper. I was a writer first, a typer second.
Reading Still Writing made me feel part of a writing fellowship. More tomorrow.
I just finished reading Dani Shapiro's most recent book Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life. It was the second of Shapiro's books I have read, the first being Devotion. I really enjoyed Devotion, a memoir about her spiritual journey. I further enjoyed Still Writing. Dani Shapiro reminds me of one of my other favorite writers-Anne Lamott. Sense of humor. Unexpected zinger phrases. Genuine. I would love to chat over coffee with these two women. In the meantime, I will glean what I can from their work.
Shapiro wrote a lot about the solitary life of a writer and how we are driven to write by our creative ambition. How we need to write. It is what writers do. That resonates with me. Writing first saved me from my own toxic thoughts and emotions and now continues to take me to new levels of awareness about myself and the world around me.
She also wrote about how we need to be patient with ourselves, with the creations that are brewing within. The more I write, the more I follow a routine and regimen-like with this blog-the more I understand the ebb and flow of my own writing. Some days the flow is strong. On other days it is more stagnant. But I trust both kind of days now and see them as necessary to my writing.
Similar to Shapiro, I prefer to start essays, columns, and blog posts in long-hand. Putting pen to paper is a connection for me that is hard to describe. It is natural. It is my heart flowing through my pen. I must admit that I do start more blog posts right on my computer these days, as it becomes more convenient, but I will always honor pen and paper. I was a writer first, a typer second.
Reading Still Writing made me feel part of a writing fellowship. More tomorrow.
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