Anne Lamott's irreverent and humorous approach in Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life is greatly inspiring for those confronted with the task of writing. She reminds us that the process of writing is messy, and that lousy drafts are common to all good writers. Lamott cautions the writer not to be obsessed with perfectionism, since the treasures in our writing are under piles of clutter: "Tidiness makes me think of held breath, of suspended animation, while writing needs to breathe and move" (p. 29).

Each chapter covers a particular aspect of a piece — from plot to dialogue — and offers practical tips and suggestions for approaching them. Her advice for developing a character, for example, is to "ask yourself how they stand, what they carry in their pockets or purses, what happens in their faces and to their posture when they are thinking, or bored, or afraid. Whom would they have voted for last time? Why should we care about them anyway? What would be the first thing they stopped doing if they found out they had six months to live? Would they start smoking again? Would they keep flossing?" (p. 45).

Amidst Lamott's funny anecdotes, however, are deep and insightful comments about writing. "Writing can be a pretty desperate endeavor, because it is about some of our deepest needs: our need to be visible, to be heard, our need to make sense of our lives, to wake up and grow and belong" (p.19). Her wisest advice for those grappling with writing is to take it step by step, or "bird by bird," her father's advice to Lamott's ten-year-old brother when he was paralyzed by a writing assignment about birds.

M.S