About the Author

ANNE LAMOTT is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Almost Everything; Hallelujah Anyway; Help, Thanks, Wow; Small Victories; Stitches; Some Assembly Required; Grace (Eventually); Plan B; Traveling Mercies; and Operating Instructions. She is also the author of seven novels, including Imperfect Birds and Rosie. A past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and an inductee to the California Hall of Fame, she lives in Northern California.

Reviews

“Superb writing advice. . . . Hilarious, helpful, and provocative.”
—The New York Times Book Review
 
“A warm, generous, and hilarious guide through the writer’s world and its treacherous swamps.” 
—Los Angeles Times

“One of the funniest books on writing ever published.” 
—The Christian Science Monitor

“A gift to all of us mortals who write or ever wanted to write. . . . Sidesplittingly funny, patiently wise and alternately cranky and kind—a reveille to get off our duffs and start writing now, while we  still can.” 
—Seattle Times

“Bird by Bird would be worth reading just for Lamott’s ele- gant, moving, and often-hilarious prose. But the advice she offers is just as fantastic as the style with which it’s delivered.”
—Forbes

“Anne Lamott understands better than anyone that writers need help. . . . She writes so well, in fact, that it’s hard to believe that she, too, has trouble with writing. That’s what’s so deeply comforting about this book.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“Deftly and honestly explores the mental challenges of being a writer. . . . Lamott’s advice is, simply put, invaluable.”
—Bustle

“[Lamott] uses her writing exercises or lessons as a way to help us more deeply understand ourselves and the human condition in all its messiness. If you’re looking for sense-making and meaning during this deeply destabilizing time, this book is timeless.”
—Elise Hu, TED Talks Daily

“Delight[s] with insight and descriptive acumen. This humorous, insightful, no-nonsense approach will remind novices why they are writing.”      
—Kirkus Reviews

“Offers unique inspiration. . . . An honest appraisal of what it takes to be a writer and why it matters so much.”
—Library Journal

"Superb writing advice. . . . Hilarious, helpful, and provocative."
-The New York Times Book Review

"A warm, generous, and hilarious guide through the writer's world and its treacherous swamps."
-Los Angeles Times

"One of the funniest books on writing ever published."
-The Christian Science Monitor

"A gift to all of us mortals who write or ever wanted to write. . . . Sidesplittingly funny, patiently wise and alternately cranky and kind-a reveille to get off our duffs and start writing now, while we still can."
-Seattle Times

"Bird by Bird would be worth reading just for Lamott's ele- gant, moving, and often-hilarious prose. But the advice she offers is just as fantastic as the style with which it's delivered."
-Forbes

"Anne Lamott understands better than anyone that writers need help. . . . She writes so well, in fact, that it's hard to believe that she, too, has trouble with writing. That's what's so deeply comforting about this book."
-The Wall Street Journal

"Deftly and honestly explores the mental challenges of being a writer. . . . Lamott's advice is, simply put, invaluable."
-Bustle

"[Lamott] uses her writing exercises or lessons as a way to help us more deeply understand ourselves and the human condition in all its messiness. If you're looking for sense-making and meaning during this deeply destabilizing time, this book is timeless."
-Elise Hu, TED Talks Daily

"Delight[s] with insight and descriptive acumen. This humorous, insightful, no-nonsense approach will remind novices why they are writing."
-Kirkus Reviews

"Offers unique inspiration. . . . An honest appraisal of what it takes to be a writer and why it matters so much."
-Library Journal

Lamott's ( Operating Instructions ) miscellany of guidance and reflection should appeal to writers struggling with demons large and slight. Among the pearls she offers is to start small, as their father once advised her 10-year-old brother, who was agonizing over a book report on birds: ``Just take it bird by bird.'' Lamott's suggestion on the craft of fiction is down-to-earth: worry about the characters, not the plot. But she's even better on psychological questions. She has learned that writing is more rewarding than publication, but that even writing's rewards may not lead to contentment. As a former ``Leona Helmsley of jealousy,'' she's come to will herself past pettiness and to fight writer's block by living ``as if I am dying.'' She counsels writers to form support groups and wisely observes that, even if your audience is small, ``to have written your version is an honorable thing.'' (Sept.)