Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process –by John McPhee

Nonfiction / Essays

209 pages / 3095 KB

5 Stars

Disclaimer: I have never, ever, read a book by McPhee that did not hold me enthralled. This book is no exception.

If you don't know his writing, McPhee writes nonfiction on a variety of subjects ranging from oranges to the merchant marine to the geology of the USA. (BTW, some of my geology friends who read his book, Annals of the Former World, say that by the time he finished his research he was a better geologist than some of the geologists he quoted. They know. They took classes from some of those same geologists.)

Draft No. 4 is a collection of essays on the process of writing—John McPhee style. It is not necessarily a How To Write book as it is a book on the process he uses. Processes any writer of any genre can use in their chosen craft.

If you fancy yourself a writer, you need this book. If you are a wannabe writer, you need this book, if you enjoy reading a good book—well, this book will help you understand what the author went through to produce that book for your enjoyment!

real sofistikashun: essays on poetry and craft –by Tony Hoagland

Nonfiction / Essays

224 pages

5 Stars

I can't think of anything I enjoy more than reading a good poem unless it's reading a good essay, and in this book, I had the best of both worlds. It was not easy forcing myself to read one essay at a time, rather than to read the book cover to cover. 

Hoagland's book talks about modern poetry in an easy-to-understand and accessible manner; he discusses many of the current poets, and how and why they write as they do. 

If you're a poet, there are jewels of great value to be mined in real sofistikashun, if you're a reader of poetry, this book will become necessary to your bedside table. (If you put it on the shelf, it may not be as readily available as you will want.)

Buy this book! Read this book! You will not be sorry.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End –by Atul Gawande

Nonfiction

297 pages / 1370 KB

5 Stars

For me, one of the greatest things about this book is Dr. Gawande did not go into lengths of spirituality. For those of faith, this might be disconcerting; for the rest of us, it was a welcome departure. That's not to say he is against the spiritual aspects people may have, that is to say, he left that topic alone for each to think on as they choose. Instead, he gave me information needed for me to grow older, what to expect when/if I become debilitated, and the importance of an MD who if not a specialist in Geriatrics at least has a passing understanding of the fact that us older farts and fartesses have different needs and reactions to medications than we had a couple years ago.

If dying is a topic of interest (after all, we're each going to), whether you need information, relief from fear, or are just curious about it, I heartily recommend this book. If you are faced with the prospect of caring for aging or ill parents, family, or friends, this book should be a necessary read.

Several years ago, I read How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter by Dr. Sherwin B. Nuland. I found Being Mortal a perfect companion piece to Dr. Nuland's Book. The same subject only from a different perspective.

Patriarchy Blues --by Rena Priest

Nonfiction / Poetry

62 pages

5 Stars

These poems are commentaries on our society. They are accessible, and will give the reader something to think about. Kind of like a tough, but flavorful steak – ya gotta chew on it a bit to get the full benefit.

Definitely recommend this book.

House Made of Dawn --N. Scott Momaday

Fiction / Native American

212 pages

5 Stars

If you have ever wondered what it would be to grow up in two cultures that had little in common, this is the book to read. Abel was such a young man. Native American raised in the old ways, and also raised in the culture of the dominant white man. How does one survive? How does one choose? What happens as he decides?

This is Momaday's first novel, and it is obvious, beautifully so, that he was a poet before a novelist. What a marvelous gift to us!

In the Presence of the Sun - N. Scott Momaday

Fiction / Stories & Poetry

169 pages /4898 KB

5 Stars

This is a marvelous collection of Momaday's stories, poetry, and art. He draws on his Kiowa heritage and paints gorgeous, gentle, and dignified word pictures for us. His artwork adds to the inspiration. A most beautiful book.

Japanese Death Poems – by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the verge of death

Nonfiction / Poetry

354 pages / 5446 KB

5 Stars

I am a very informal "student" of Japan, and dearly love the poetry I've read. I know that composing a poem on one's deathbed is "expected" and that many of the poems are quite beautiful.

Although most of the poems are short, this is not a book to hurry through. It is a book to read, contemplate on what you read and what the poet meant, then read more and repeat the process. 

These poems give insight into a culture different than mine, and are, as one reviewer said, "profoundly moving."

I hope, when I die, I can go out with such peace, such grace, and a poem worthy of inclusion in someone's book.

The Boy Who Made Dragonfly a Zuni Myth Retold – by Toni Hillerman

Fiction / Myth

89 pages / 3487 KB

5 Stars

Being new to the Southwest, I began reading some of the local histories and came upon this little book. Well, I need to know some of the local mythologies, too. I'm so glad I picked it up and read it.

It is a delightful story of creation, as Hillerman said on the back cover, in the white culture, it would be considered a "bible story."

Draught comes upon the land and the people leave their village, inadvertently leaving two children and an old woman behind. The boy becomes the hero, saving both his smaller sister, and the old hermit grandmother he at first didn't know was also left. 

The boy made dragonfly, and in the process also a delightful story, made more so by Hillerman's retelling of it. This is a book for your library, your child's library, your grandmother's library. Frankly, I think it's the best book Hillerman wrote, or at least that I've read.

Ararat –by Louise Glück

Nonfiction / Poetry

68 pages

5 Stars

May I double the star rating? Make it an even 10 stars? Yes, the book is that good.

The poems are serious, thought-provoking, contain pain, but also shards of piercing sunlight. The sunlight is needed to see more clearly into the shadows.

This is a book about family, about loss, about beauty, about memory.

My introduction to Ms. Glück, and by far not the only book of hers I will read and enjoy.