THE SPIRIT OF WRITING by Mark Robert Waldman (Editor)
Classic and Contemporary Essays Celebrating the Writing Life
Tarcher/Putnam - August 2001
Non-Fiction Literary Collection
ISBN: 1585421278 - Paperback
Some rough profanity, some disturbing stories

Reviewed by Nancy Mehl, MyShelf.com
Buy a Copy

"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!