NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 14, 1994
"A writer's guide that is bound to teach and inspire by example."
Lamott (Operating Instructions, 1993, etc.) gently explodes the fantasy that writing will solve all of a fledgling author's problems—an ailing bank account, low self-esteem—and at the same time argues that writing ``does turn out to be its own reward.'' Beginning with her first exposure to the writing life through her father, Lamott introduces some practical points: shaping credible dialogue; thinking of a first draft as a Polaroid photograph that slowly develops beneath one's fingers.
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FICTION
Released: April 10, 1997
"But the greater depth, complexity, and seriousness here make up for the smiley faces and rainbows. (Author tour)"
After a very successful nonfiction run (Bird by Bird, 1994, etc), Lamott returns with her fifth novel seemingly refreshed and invigorated with a further exploration of the world of Rosie Ferguson, the awkward adolescent tennis champion first seen in Rosie (1983).
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FICTION
Released: April 6, 2010
"We're all imperfect birds, in a novel that sounds a warning note to parents of "good kids," even though some might resist its climactic remedy. In the end, the strengths of central characters and believable complications overcome a tendency toward oracular psychobabble."
Lamott, best known for nonfiction, including popular books on writing (
Bird by Bird, 1994) and spirituality (
Traveling Mercies, 1999), returns to the novel with a sequel of sorts to one of her earliest and best,
Rosie (1983).
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