Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. Nonfiction.

Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird is a lighthearted book filled with humor and wisdom. Lamott’s ironic view of the realities of writing creates a well crafted, accessible text. Her wry commentary about God, writing and the nature of twentieth/twenty-first century living is engaging. Although, as with many of her books, Lamott is grammatically lax, her presentation of a writer’s life is accurate. Her courage in showing her insecurities is awe-inspiring. Lamott makes no attempt to engage all writers, she targets her audience and hits hard.

The text offers concrete advise for writers of all levels in a non-textbook way. Lamott offers personal anecdotes and professional observations from the point of view of a writer, teacher, and human being. Her flaws-and-all approach invites readers to accept their own weaknesses and insecurities.