As you know, I’ve been extremely critical of most books that claim to help writers hone their craft. There are a handfull of good ones and, unfortunately, truckloads of bad ones. In yesterday’s New York Times, Emily Barton examined a new guide that might be worth a look.
In Brush Up on Your Chekhov, Barton reviewed Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose. Barton explained that “Another difficulty faced by writing teachers is, paradoxically, the lack of interest many students show in reading. And those who do read often lack the training to observe subtle writerly clues. There’s a real need, then, for Reading Like a Writer — a primer both for aspiring writers and for readers who’d like to increase their sensitivity to the elements of the writer’s craft.”
Barton seemed to find the book extremely useful and noted that it “should be greatly appreciated in and out of the classroom. Like the great works of fiction, it’s a wise and voluble companion.” Solid praise, indeed.
It’s probably true that most people who want to write either don’t read enough or read very well. But–, especially with teens, story telling is an oral art they’ve been following for years, and an ear for conversation, being able to pick it apart, judging the right voice and tone, can be quite a strength. And I’m convinced that somebody who has those good skills can move ahead as a writer without having a great interest in reading.-PV
Thanks for the heads-up on this book. My personal favorite among writing books is “Self Editing for Fiction Writers” — any other recommendations are appreciated.
VXpC2q Parks was born Rosa McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama. When she was still a young child her parents separated, and she moved with her mother to Montgomery. There she grew up in an extended family that included her maternal grandparents and her younger brother, Sylvester. Montgomery, Alabama, was hardly a hospitable city for blacks in the 1920s and 1930s. As she grew up, Rosa was shunted into second-rate all-black schools, such as the Montgomery Industrial School for Girls, and she faced daily rounds of laws governing her behavior in public places. Ms. magazine contributor Eloise Greenfield noted that Rosa always detested having to drink from special water fountains and having to forgo lunch at the whites-only restaurants downtown. Still, wrote Greenfield, “with her mother’s help, Rosa was able to grow up proud of herself and other black people, even while living with these rules…. People should be judged by the respect they have for themselves and others, Mrs. McCauley said. Rosa grew up believing this.”