Happy Anne Lamott's birthday!


"We are a species that needs and wants to understand who we are. Sheep lice do not seem to share this longing, which is one reason why they write so little."

Gotta love Anne Lamott, the writing guru who gave us the Bird By Bird guide to life. Single mom. Christian Lefty. Staunch defender of our right to produce "a really shitty first draft". Beyond Lamott's rock solid advice on the nuts and bolts of writing is her ever-philosophical view of fame, fortune, and the vagaries of the publishing industry.
"Seeing yourself in print is such an amazing concept: you can get so much attention without having to actually show up somewhere . . .You don't have to dress up, for instance, and you can't hear them boo you right away."

Comments

I love Lamott's BIRD BY BIRD. She not only admits the secret paranoia, jealousy, and desperation that plagues the average writer, she lets us laugh at it and robs it of its power.

Happy birthday, Anne! I love your work.