A review by lola425
Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life by Dani Shapiro

4.0

While I generally eschew books of advice for writers--simply because what works for one writer will often not work for another--I did enjoy this one. I did not necessarily enjoy it for the advice, but simply because I enjoy glimpses into the lives of real women and how they navigate the real world. Shapiro suffers from what many artists who choose a life of art suffer from--how to make a living doing what you love while still being true to yourself, how to reconcile your need to write with the competing needs of family and friends, the general shifting financial sands of artistic endeavors, but make no mistake she does so from the relative comfort of a chaise longue covered with an antique Tibetan blanket, not shivering in a garret. Which does not take away her considered and honest look at her writing practice, her writing life, but might make it aspiring for fledgling writers rather than inspiring. A joy to read, nonetheless.