K is for King (A Book Review)

I pulled a book off my shelf a few weeks ago. It’s called On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King. I’d read it once before for one of my Master’s classes, but it had been a few years. I decided to re-read it and enjoyed it just as much as the second time. The opening section reads as an autobiography, where King talks about his childhood and his writing. The second part is a technical, informative, and largely enjoyable read about the craft of writing, with a strong focus on fiction writing. Some really excellent advice is found here for all writers: If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.  (p 145)  The final section of the book refocuses on King and his continuing journey as a writer. I highly recommend this book, even if you’re not a fan of King’s usual work. (I am not, with the exception of The Shining) It’s well written and entertaining. And if you are having trouble with the reading a lot advice that King gives, this is a good book with which to start.

Here’s a link to the book on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Writing-10th-Anniversary-Memoir-Craft/dp/1439156816/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395075100&sr=1-1&keywords=on+writing

F is for A Book Review

Today I want to write about one of the strangest yet best self-help books I have ever encountered. Perhaps self-help is not the best label to put on this book, because it’s a bit genre-bending. Part fiction, part self-help, part who knows? The title is “Fuck, Yes!” A Guide to the Happy Acceptance of Everything by Rev. Wing F. Fing. If you like Tom Robbins, I think you’ll appreciate this book. The style of writing is very similar. In fact, there are rumors that Robbins actually wrote Fuck, Yes. These rumors eventually found their way into a lawsuit by the author of Fuck, Yes against Robbins.

I first discovered Fuck, Yes through a fringe play back in the late 90’s. The writer/director of the play gave me his copy. I devoured it in short order. It was great. And really hard to describe. Basically the self-help premise of the book is that one should just say yes to whatever situation or question arises. The story line follows a charismatic man who decides to say yes and forms a church of sorts with several different followers who believe in the power of yes. It details the rise and fall of his organization. Here are some of the chapter titles which both reveal and conceal what the book is about:

• Say Yes to Higher Education
• Say Yes to Yourself
• Say Yes to Vegetables
• Say Yes to Confusion

So whether you read it as a self-help book or as a humourous work of fiction, just say yes and read it. It’s worth it. Unfortunately it’s a bit hard to get your hands on a hard copy–for some reason it’s not sitting prominently along with the other self-help books in the bookstore. If you’re a modern reader, the Kindle version is available on amazon for only $2.70. If you do happen to come across a copy, either in a used bookstore or in your grandma’s basement, just say yes. At the very least, go to amazon and read the Look Inside section. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

A picture of my copy which the previous owner dropped in the bathtub.

Here are some links about Fuck, Yes and where to get it:

http://www.shepherdbooks.com/thehomeofyes.html

http://www.amazon.com/Fuck-YES-Guide-Acceptance-Everything-ebook/dp/B005CXQ0YU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394462566&sr=8-1&keywords=fuck+yes

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/60114.Wing_F_Fing

Here are some links about Tom Robbins and the rumors and lawsuit involving the author of Fuck, Yes:

http://www.rain.org/~da5e/trvisit.html

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19941130&id=SFBWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w-sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6770,7636452

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1914&dat=19941201&id=cd8gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I2sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2884,219898

Ish–Where I Want to Be (A Book Review of Sorts)

Here’s another children’s book review/rambling:

I’ve been reading the book, Ish, by Peter H. Reynolds with H. It’s a new favourite. Peter H. Reynolds also wrote one of my favourite children’s books, The Dot. While I think The Dot is superior in many ways to Ish, there is still something to be said for the latter.

In Ish, a young boy named Ramon loves to draw. He is constantly drawing until his older brother Leon makes fun of him. All of a sudden, Ramon becomes critical of his work. After a time his younger sister Marisol shows him that not everything has to be “perfect” or “right”. Ramon learns that by letting go, he can once again enjoy drawing and other creative pursuits. The book ends with Ramon living “ishfully ever after.”

I think the lesson in this book is more for me than for H.  I am attempting to live “ishfully” with my writing. My writing may not be perfect or right, but it brings me to a place of joy and contentment and it gives me a sense of accomplishment. By deciding to write for me and letting go of my ideas of perfection and rightness (although I still refuse to publish a haiku that is not in the traditional 5-7-5 format) I am able to be like Ramon, who when thinking ish-ly is able to feel “light and energized.”

This is what I wish for my writing and for my life. For it to be “ish.” Instead of looking at the problems or constraints or difficulties, I can focus on the beauty, the enjoyment, the promise. My goal is to be like Ramon and live ishfully ever after.

If you’re in a creative slump, or looking for a book to encourage creativity within yourself or your child, or just wanting a quick pick-me-up, I recommend Ish.

Cover of Ish–taken on my phone.

 

Getting Ready for School (A Book Review of Sorts but also a Rant)

It’s summer, so I’ve been pretty lax about keeping up a writing schedule. I have however, done quite a bit of reading. I just finished Joyce Carol Oates’ memoir, A Widow’s Story as well as J. M. Coetzee’s Nobel and Booker prize-winning novel, Disgrace. I would highly recommend both of these. Having three small children, I also read a lot of children’s books. Today a couple of them got me thinking. Here’s the scoop on one of them:

Book furniture at Open Books bookstore, Chicago (Photo credit: Amy Guth)

Harris heads to Kindergarten next year, which terrifies me just a bit. He’s been going to a Montessori pre-school since he was two, so it’s not the empty nest feeling that I’m worried about, it’s the school system itself. As an elementary school teacher I know how (often unintentionally) hard it can be for free-spirited, independent thinkers like Harris. I am hoping this isn’t the case, but I guess we’ll just have to trust in the compassion of others and find out.

I’ve seen a lot of “Getting Ready for Kindergarten” type stories in the bookstores, including the incredibly stupidly titled Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, which isn’t quite as dreadful a text as The Night Before Kindergarten. Let me make this clear–I haven’t been looking for these books, but they’re almost impossible not to spot. There is a new niche market (did I mention that a quick search on amazon reveals that the majority of these books are written after 2000?) preying on parents’ fears about their children’s first school days. Actually I’m not sure if it’s fear or just this idea among parents that we need to prepare our kids for absolutely everything and that somehow we need a book for anything and everything.

I have zero interest in buying a “Kindergarten” book for Harris, and yet while reading stories with him today, we rediscovered a book that we both enjoy. While I was reading it, I thought–this is my Kindergarten book for Harris. The book is entitled Only One You by Linda Kranz. The text is simple, the art is lovely, and the ideas inside are all I need to help Harris (and myself) prepare for Kindergarten and beyond. The final line reads, “There’s only one you in this great big world . . . Make it a better place.” That’s the kind of message that is worth sharing.

For further information on any of these books just head to amazon or your local bookstore.