Books Distilled » Lessons Learned
How to Tell Stories: Lessons Learned from Bird by Bird
Check Out My Story! WIth all that’s been going on, I forgot to direct you to a flash fiction piece, “Hand in Marriage,” that I had published in The Corner Club Press. It’s on page 53-56 of Issue 5. Check it out! Bird by Bird When I’m having trouble with my writing–or with my life–I reread Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott’s “instructions on writing and life.” The title comes from a family story in which her brother, at … Read entire article »
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Steps Toward Gratitude: Lessons Learned from Two-Part Invention
Happy Thanksgiving! Blessings to you and your family tomorrow! I hope you’re enjoying your celebrations, wherever they may be. Safe travels. Announcements There’s still time to read our book of the month, The Art of Fielding, and join the discussion! I recently started writing for another blog, Ask Miss A. You can see a list of my articles here, some of which will be book reviews I haven’t posted on Books Distilled. Two-Part Invention My dear friend Caroline (of A Wish … Read entire article »
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Dreaming Dreams: Lessons Learned from The Alchemist
“When you want something, the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it.” The hero of The Alchemist is searching for a treasure. A humble shepherd, he has a dream that a gypsy interprets: to find his treasure, he must travel to Egypt. The boy sells his sheep, and he travels and sees many things. He loses all his possessions many times. His life is threatened more than once. Many times he wishes he hadn’t been … Read entire article »
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Lessons Learned: 4 Ways to Follow Your Heart, from Letters to a Young Poet
Go into yourself. Search for the reason that bids you write; find out whether it is spreading out its roots in the deepest places of your heart, acknowledge to yourself whether you would have to die if it were denied you to write. This above all–ask yourself in the stillest hour of your night: must I write? Delve into yourself for a deep answer. And if this should be affirmative, if you may meet this … Read entire article »
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Lessons Learned: Love in the Time of Cholera
I have had the extreme privilege of studying this semester with Da Chen, writer of the memoirs Colors of the Mountain and Sounds of the River, and of the novel Brothers (review coming soon!) When we were assembling my reading list for the semester, he strongly recommended that I add Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera. His exact words were: “I think it is the perfect novel.” … Read entire article »
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Lessons Learned: Eat, Pray, Love
Liz Gilbert’s memoir Eat, Pray, Love has had so much media attention that, much as I loved reading it, it’s become a bit overrated. However, I love hearing about other people’s journeys of discovery, whether literal or figurative –or in Gilbert’s case, a little of both. Below are a few lessons I learned from her. 1. Feed yourself. I had the privilege of hearing Liz Gilbert speak at the National Cathedral in DC … Read entire article »
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5 Ways to Feel Infinite: Lessons from Perks of Being a Wallflower
I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky for the first time my senior year of high school. I absolutely loved it. If you haven’t read it, it’s a great coming-of-age story about Charlie as he begins high school. He’s precocious, shy, and socially awkward. I related to Charlie’s struggles to fit in (also being somewhat shy) and find his place in the world, as I was … Read entire article »
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4 Steps to Being True to Yourself: Lessons from Stargirl
I work for a company that produces binoculars. (It’s random, I know.) A few weeks ago we had a mandatory office bird watch. We met at nearby Blydenburgh Park at 8:30. It was cloudy and approximately 40 degrees. (This is standard mid-April weather in New York. Just one of the many reasons I miss living in Durham.) My coworkers who’d been on these walks before joked about the instructor before … Read entire article »
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About Me
Ever stand in the bookstore or library, gazing around blankly, overwhelmed by choices, jealous of the other purposeful browsers? This blog is for you.
I read. A lot.
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