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If your copy has gotten crusty, you’ll need inspiration,
motivation and some good old-fashioned learnin’ to get it back on
track.The writer’s muse is often reticent; it must be coaxed and
pampered to deliver the goods. Mine likes a combination of chocolate and
a few pages from one of my favorite authors. When I read: “Lo-lee-ta:
the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to
tap, at three, on the teeth,” my breath catches in my throat. When
I finish reading any of Mary Oliver’s poems, I feel like I’ve
just stepped out of a warm bubble bath.
Here is a {partial} list of what I turn to when I’m feeling dry
or dusty; I’ll update this periodically to reflect new interests
and finds. You’ll assemble your own list, of course, but perhaps
one or two of these recommendations will be of help.
Urban Dictionary – when your vocab needs a little
hip-hop, head here.
Moby Lives – a wry look at the publishing industry
BookAngst 101
– damn good writing about writing
Moorish Girl – on the myriad thoughts and issues
facing an up-and-coming writer
Head Butler – reviews delivered up fresh, just the way you like it
Bookslut – I never promised it was going to be pretty
Sin & Syntax by Constance Hale. Advice on crafting
“wickedly effective prose.”
Fruitflesh by Gayle Brandeis. Inspiration from juicy
fruit. Mmm.
The Long Quiet Highway by Natalie Goldberg. Why aren’t
I famous yet? When will I be on Oprah? Meditations on the Zen of writing.
Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing. by Patricia T. O’ Connor. The title says it all.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. Because reading
about someone writing in such a romantic setting inevitably makes me want
to pick up my pen again.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Yes, this is
a novel. A novel in which the deft use of adjective and noun is nothing
short of astounding. Your writing will improve after reading the very
first page.
M.F.K. Fisher - This is a woman who feasted on the world
around her, and penned every vivid, succulent detail. I love her pieces
about dining out alone; about sitting at a nice table and ordering lovely
wine and savoring each course, as if she was dining with someone she was
quite fond of... which, of course, she was: herself. Fisher invented food
writing, but her writing is too richly layered to be so narrowly labeled.
From How to Eat a Wolf to The Gastronomical Me, each
of her books is a treat to be relished.
Virginia Woolf - The first time I read Mrs. Dalloway,
I felt like a little kid on a merry-go-round. Remember that feeling? Your
hands clench the iron bar; your head spins; your neck wobbles. You feel
like you might die. And then the crazy metal disc finally slows to a stop,
and you can’t wait to take another ride. Whenever I’m feeling
un-inspired, I pick up Mrs. Dalloway, and after a few pages, I’m
running back to my desk.
E. Annie Proulx - How many times have I urgently, passionately
babbled on about The Shipping News? For a more than a year, I had this
passage clipped above my desk: “The devil had long ago taken a shine
to Tert Card. Filled him like a cream horn with itch and irritation. His
middle name was X. Face like cottage cheese clawed with a fork.”
Oh! I want to write like that!
Dr. Seuss – There used to be these paper coupons
tucked inside women’s magazines that enticed you to join a book
club by offering several free books – these still might exist, I
don’t know. But years ago, I came across one such offer in which
the bait was five free books by Dr. Seuss. That was all the persuasion
I needed. From time to time, I take the books out, and sit on the floor
with graham crackers and milk, and feel happy.
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