Final Thoughts on Bird by Bird

Anne Lamott

Bird by Bird helped pull me back into writing after leaving it and many other hobbies behind in an attempt to catch some sleep during my first years of teaching. Lamott doesn't speak to the writer who is ready to publish something that is already 'finished.' In fact, she speaks about these hopeful, hungry writers with a certain distaste. She promises within the first few pages to teach you everything she has come to know about writing, and although I have never read her work, the caliber of writing within this book gives her enough clout for me. She gets very personal when writing about writing which I really appreciate. With her dark, punchy sense of humor she candidly confronts the struggles that writers often don't speak about which causes many of them to secretly pour martinis in the morning or look at bridges longingly. This book isn't for everyone. It offers suggestions to overcome perfectionism and an interesting take on writer's block, but lacks nuts and bolts pertaining to style. But if writing is an addiction that you feed, a habit that you hate to love and love to hate, you might take a break from the self-loathing to read about someone else's sulking. I found myself cackling loudly throughout and nodding my head knowingly. It was a welcome distraction from writing.