The Spirit of Writing: Classic and Contemporary Essays Celebrating the Writing Life

Mark Robert Waldman has compiled a treasure chest full of shining works to be savored by writers at any level.Contributors to the anthology, "The Spirit of Writing: Classic and Contemporary Essays Celebrating the Writing Life",are a who's who list in the world of writing. All the works are aimed at those that love the written word, including their own. Essays and poems by the likes of Authors past and present, Mark Twain, Erica Jong, Stephen King, Julia Cameron, Janet Fitch, O.Henry, Joseph Conrad, Natalie Goldberg and Sylvia Plath, who all know a thing or two about writing, are among the works found in this very thorough anthology. Each author with their very different but most recognizable styles will have you turning the page as fast as you can. Some of these works were written specifically for this book, others written long ago, just seem to fit the mold. They will hit home with writers of all levels, published or non-published, amateur or professional. Even if you journal, I think you will easily relate to these wonderful works.They will have you smiling and sighing, and at times even thinking, "why didn't I write that?!" Waldman has filled this book with some excellent selections.The book is divided into four parts. "Living the Writing Life","Memories and Inspirations from the Past","Advice to Writers Young and Old", and "Bending the Muse and Breaking the Rules",have over 60 works to savor, with some fitting parting words from Faulkner and Steinbeck, both taken from their Nobel Prize Acceptance speeches. It's a fabulous book for anyone who loves to write. Turn to it for inspiration, motivation, validation, and maybe a good laugh along the way. An absolute celebration of the writing life. Enjoy the read....Laurie

"Writers love language. They play with words, rolling them around on the page, arranging and rearranging them until they come alive. The meanings are stretched and changed, and if the writer is successful, he or she will lure the reader into that mysterious world where fiction and reality blur." These words were penned by Mark Waldman, who edited this amazing collection of literary gems. Written by award-winning writers and poets, and several as-yet-unknown new talents, these authors open their hearts to the reader, sharing the most intimate adventures of their lives, moments that are frequently filled with vulnerability, pain, and ecstasy. The Spirit of Writing exemplifies the writer's life in a way that inspires us to write and read, and then to write some more. In many of the stories, you will witness how a writer's life unfolds. You'll roam through childhood memories, nostalgic and sometimes trajic, discovering what inspired them to write. These authors write lyrically, playing with subtle nuances of tone. And for those who want to write better, there are mountains of literary advice. Humor also abounds in this delightful collection of essays. From Mark Twain's hilariously brutal attack upon poets to the wild and sexy muse of Henry Miller, I laughed my way through the pitfalls and pratfalls that plague a writer's life (in Hamilton's essay, she literally gives birth to a six pound book). Even the classic essays by mixed pathos with humor, as in Joseph Conrad's monologue with his pen that drives him mad. And imagine what the poet Peter Joris must suffer through when the letters and words keep falling off his page (Joris' story is one of a half-dozen experimental pieces that demonstrate the cutting edge of creative writing today). One story, "Clawing at Stones," touched me deeply. It was written by Sindiwe Magona, a well-known black author who calls herself "a migrant worker," a South African woman who lives in the Bronx and works for the United Nations. "I am convinced," she writes, "that it is only by probing both the joys and woundings of time that we might be blessed and empowered to affect the future." She talks about the dangers that women of color face, especially if they write about the atrocities they see. Through such memoirs, we begin to understand the darker forces that guides a writer's pen. Several other stories in this anthology, like Lia Scott Price's "Without Wings," also illuminate the suffering that have driven many women to write. Perhaps we are all "clawing at stones" and "fighting without wings," living with our stories inside. And with the memoirs that this unique anthology holds, perhaps it will inspire more people to write. About the truth, the pain, and joy that fills our lives.

I just finished reading Without Wings by Lia Scott Price and decided I had to write to say how much I enjoyed the story. While reading it, I felt the pain, the anguish, the pure and raw emotions from her characters. I am so greatly impressed. To finally stumble upon a writer with a gift for storytelling, I would just like to say congratulations on this, what I consider to be a masterpiece of a story. I hope to read more of her works! --A new found fan.

"When I'm writing, I am trying to find out who I am, who we are, what we're capable of, how we feel, how we lose and stand up, and go on from darkness into darkness. Maya Angelou (From THE SPIRIT OF WRITING)THE SPIRIT OF WRITING is an intriguing look into the souls of over sixty different writers. From Mark Twain to Stephen King, we are able to examine the spark that motivates the muse, and in return, perhaps more clearly see the face of the spirit that dwells, sometimes hidden and unnamed, inside any of us who have asked ourselves...what if? The passions that inspire each writer, although varied and unique, weave themselves into a pattern that all writers can identify with. Author Bob Shacochis writes for revenge; "Revenge against apathy...against the bullets of assassins...against the Devil...against the silence into which we fall." Sylvia Plath confronts the most well-known literary demon - insecurity. Mark Twain takes a hysterical and irreverent stab at those who call themselves writers in "Littery Men." Author Jane Eaton Hamilton equates the production of a novel to the pain of childbirth, and Stephen King looks at the monetary side of writing in a funny piece called "It's Not the Money."In "Getting It," written by MyShelf.com's own Susan McBride, we're given a personal glimpse into her struggle to silence the negative forces around her, until she could finally hear a voice from inside saying, "Don't quit. Your time will come."THE SPIRIT OF WRITING is a book that will stay close by the side of anyone who writes, who wants to write, or who knows a writer. And for those who are discouraged, this book is essential. It will stir the embers until the fire inside you is burning brightly again!

Inspirational messages from Erica Jong and Gail Godwin are all well and good. But the undisputed highlight of this collection is novelist TOM BRADLEY's bit! He joins forces with an insane Vietnam vet, gobbles down huge amounts of a kinky Indian drug, infiltrates a glitzy author's creative writing class, and sets fire to the place! The funniest and most satisfying stuff to be published in English since TOM BRADLEY's latest novels!