Writing Down the Bones

I just began reading Natalie Goldberg's book Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within. Absolutely fabulous! I highly recommend it for writers. (Please note: Goldberg does mention briefly that she practices Buddhism, so Christian writers should be aware of that when reading the book.)      

A few highlights:

Judith Guest writes in the introduction, "Writers do not write to impart knowledge to others; rather they write to inform themselves." Interesting point.

Goldberg calls us to "say a holy yes to the real things of our life as they exist." A holy yes... I'm going to have to use that line somewhere.

In addition, Goldberg writes, "Never underestimate people. They do desire the cut of truth." This particularly encourages me in my poetry writing. Poetry is such a fascinating genre. You take a variety of images and elements and mix them up to create an enigma, a new "animal" with so much more power. The whole is so much more than the sum of its parts. (Thanks to my bio professors at Purdue for that one.)

People do desire the "cut of truth," and they recognize it when a principle or an image rings true. It's like a sword piercing to the core of one's being. That's the job of the poet---to write something that rings true. Poetry both conceals and reveals at the same time; I suppose that's why I love it so much.   

Other books in my current reading pile include:

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

The Memory-Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado

The Art of Possibility by Ben and Roz Zander

The past few nights before I have gone to sleep, I have been reading excerpts of Anne Lamott's books (Bird by Bird, Traveling Mercies) for perspective and a laugh. Very few writers actually make me laugh out loud, but she does. (My husband probably thinks I'm loony when he hears me laughing like that!) Anne Lamott is so honest, carefree and wise. She's not afraid to really live. I love that!