Scan barcode
A review by marthaos
Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process by Joe Fassler
4.0
This was a book that really interested me. Any book, film article etc that describes writers’ writing process is something that always fascinates me. I’m curious about what inspires writers, where they get their encouragement and especially what helps them persevere. I’m interested in their routine or lack of, what writers read, eat etc... This was a book that ‘got me’ from the start.
Saying that,it is a book that one would find hard to read cover to cover. It is more of a coffee table, ‘dip-in-and-out-of’ book. I did try to read it cover to cover, and succeeded by and large. It is rather one I would like to own, to refer to now and again, to open randomly for inspiration.
The chosen quote as chosen by each writer was nicely presented at the start of their essay, accompanied by a suitable illustration. This was a nice feature, simple and unassuming.
The two essays that stood out for me were those by Andre Dubus, who chose Bausch: “Do not think. Dream”; and Billy Collins who chose Yeats’ “The Lake Isle of Inishfree”. I chose each for different reasons. Dubus wrote a brilliant essay on his specific writing process. It was clear, honest and very useful to a would-be writer. He broke down his understanding of what good fiction writing is to bite-size chunks, bringing in extra quotes from others, such as Eudora Welty. He then builds gradually on this, describing how sometimes we need to “back the f*** off” to discover where the story is leading us. Trusting the unconscious is key. I chose Billy Collins, because his was a beautiful reflection on the merits of learning poetry. He expresses his ideas so lyrically, the essay was a form of poetry in itself. I agree wholeheartedly with his points, learning poetry is an important, life-affirming pursuit, and ones choice of poetry tells a lot about a person. His specific choice, “Lakeisle of Inishfree” speaks to a place of solitude in all of us where we find repose and solace, where our head and heart connect, our soul-space, which all writers and artists, or at least the good ones, must befriend.
There were many more essays, or ideas within essays that stay with me from this book. I am very glad I read it, and it is one I will buy. It deserves a place on my bookshelf.
Saying that,it is a book that one would find hard to read cover to cover. It is more of a coffee table, ‘dip-in-and-out-of’ book. I did try to read it cover to cover, and succeeded by and large. It is rather one I would like to own, to refer to now and again, to open randomly for inspiration.
The chosen quote as chosen by each writer was nicely presented at the start of their essay, accompanied by a suitable illustration. This was a nice feature, simple and unassuming.
The two essays that stood out for me were those by Andre Dubus, who chose Bausch: “Do not think. Dream”; and Billy Collins who chose Yeats’ “The Lake Isle of Inishfree”. I chose each for different reasons. Dubus wrote a brilliant essay on his specific writing process. It was clear, honest and very useful to a would-be writer. He broke down his understanding of what good fiction writing is to bite-size chunks, bringing in extra quotes from others, such as Eudora Welty. He then builds gradually on this, describing how sometimes we need to “back the f*** off” to discover where the story is leading us. Trusting the unconscious is key. I chose Billy Collins, because his was a beautiful reflection on the merits of learning poetry. He expresses his ideas so lyrically, the essay was a form of poetry in itself. I agree wholeheartedly with his points, learning poetry is an important, life-affirming pursuit, and ones choice of poetry tells a lot about a person. His specific choice, “Lakeisle of Inishfree” speaks to a place of solitude in all of us where we find repose and solace, where our head and heart connect, our soul-space, which all writers and artists, or at least the good ones, must befriend.
There were many more essays, or ideas within essays that stay with me from this book. I am very glad I read it, and it is one I will buy. It deserves a place on my bookshelf.