Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life” was a pleasure to read - even while battling the pain and distraction of an extracted tooth.  In fact, it was a REALLY great read – and that is saying a lot given my current morbid state of mind.  Bird by Bird helped me turn down the volume on self-pity and reflect on the joy as well as the struggles that go hand in hand with the process of writing.  It re-inspired me to get out of bed, sit down at this computer and blog again – on a topic other than vicodin and my lost tooth.

Anne Lamott is not a new author for me.  Like all my other first time mother friends, I fell in love with Anne Lamott after reading  “Operating Instructions” which chronicles the early months of her son’s life.  In that book, Lamott was hilarious, unflinchingly honest and gloriously generous about her feelings and her experiences with her new baby Sam.  As a first time mom with a challenging baby boy at the time, I could relate to her quirky, nervous-making, crazy new parent feelings in so many ways.  Operating Instructions became a quasi bible to me in our household (even though I was and remain a devout atheist). 

In Bird by Bird, Lamott tackles the topic of writing with the same humor, warmth and waywardness that I so love about her earlier memoir.  She gives her perspective on the writing life and describes all of the tiny details and major dramas faced by anyone who's ever wanted to write anything (including a blog). Taken from a chapter in her own childhood, the title "Bird by Bird" reflects the down to earth advice Lamott weaves throughout the book. When her young brother is faced with having to put together a massive school report on birds last minute (after putting the project off for three months), her dad sits down next to him, puts his hand on his shoulder and says "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird." 

Filled with affectionate and wise anecdotes such as these and others from her own writing career and from her classes, Lamott’s stories take you by the hand and pull you to the computer keyboard because you immediately feel the need to write something, now!  She covers everything from getting started, overcoming writer’s block, research, writing groups (of the non-mama variety), finding your own voice, as well as other helpful topics.  She gives advice on breaking the work of writing into manageable pieces and draws from her own experiences to make suggestions on how to overcome apathy and frustration.  Bird by Bird is a book for writers, but it is also for people like me who are just curious about writing as a hobby and part-time escape.  For anyone who is interested in taking a peek into the mind of a great writer and her craft, the book “Bird by Bird” will give you a flock of insight and inspiration from which your own enthusiasm can take flight.