Hemingway and Anne Lamott
Posted by Mark Shaw on February 16, 2009
If you have not read Bird by Bird by author Anne Lamott, do so immediately. Ernest Hemingway obviously never knew her, but I am certain he would agree with what she has to say about the writing process. And he would share her enthusiasm for books:
“Because, for some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world and world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die. They are full of all the things that you don’t get in real life – wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. And quality of attention: we may notice amazing details during the course of a day but we rarely let ourselves stop and really pay attention. An author makes you notice, makes you pay attention, and this is a great gift.”
Amen!!!
