Category: books

Now and then I stumble across a book that shakes things up. And after reading it I just want to shower the world with it’s wondrous pages.

This was one of those books.

‘Bird by Bird’  by Anne Lamott  helps with a simple yet monstrous question ‘How To Be A Good Writer’.  Good writer or not, I have a feeling we’re all dying to know! But aside from delving into the magical whirl that is writing, she mostly talks about LIFE. Because let’s face it, writing  is not so different from the journey of life. It’s always about finding yourself (at least if you’re a writer in the truest sense of the word) and it’s usually a struggle, though it’s spattered with amazing moments of satisfaction and wonder, just like life is.

And I’m not one for manuals and easy how-to guides but I just stumbled across a review of this book and was instantly draw to its relatability. Every quote was from my own mind, granted the wording was a tad more charismatic and concise, but I was in awe of how truthfully it was written. Seldom do I read books that really ‘speak to me’, but this one did.

And she spoke with such a modest human voice, full of life’s woes and bumps and scrapes, you couldn’t help by admire her, coffee stains and all.

“Truth, or reality, or whatever you want to call it is the bedrock of life…but you can’t get to any of these truths by sitting in a field smiling beatifically, avoiding you anger and damage and grief. Your anger and damage and grief are the way to the truth.”

She talks about acceptance;  accepting your truth, and using it for your writing, channeling life’s pains and acknowledging things are far from perfect. These things make you a better writer. She also touches on accepting some things are ever as good as they seem, like getting published, which was refreshing to read. She pinpoints the real joys of writing,  the true value of it is not found in the fame it can bring but in the process itself (and she should know, she’s published a whole shelf of books).

Another thing I loved, the title, which encompasses beautifully, the books message. It comes from her little brother, who, she recalls at the end of one summer, finally sat down to begin his homework assignment of categorising birds, and he broke down, on realising the hugeness of the task. Then their father simply saids “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”

It really resonated with me. I love to cram the day and sometimes bite off much more than I can chew. These past few years have taught me that we have to take each day as it comes, eat the cake as it’s cut. We cannot do it all, when we want, because even when we are free our bodies are governed by clocks, we must sleep, eat, reboot and continue our lives work. By the end of the book she’s hit so many nails on the head, I felt obliged to share it with you, from one writer to another,  it would be selfish not to!

The book really is full of so many little titbits and life’s lessons learned, that you finish it somehow feeling fuller, more satisfied, even though it’s riddled with sarcasm and lashings of bitter truth, it has a funny way of soothing the anxieties of life.

My favourite quote was this one:

“…live as if I am dying…Time is so full for people who are dying in a conscious way, full in the way that life is for children”

For years I’ve believed the same, and have tried on many occasions to carefully wrap this idea  into words, most unsuccessfully and there, she said it, perfect, truthfully, to the point, live as if you are dying. Is it the key to life’s happiness? I don’t know, but it’s the closest I’ve ever gotten.

So, to gush once more, I loved this book! And I have a sneaky feeling you will to.