More of Anne Lamott

I’m on a total Anne Lamott kick – I’ve read five of her non-fiction books over the past two months. I can’t get enough of her ruthless honesty and her hilarious jokes, and then there are these tender moments when she says something that I not only relate to, but can’t believe she was able to put into words and I feel like someone gets me – in the deepest truest way and I don’t feel so alone.

I’ve read and am still reading…
Operating Instructions – A Journal of my Son’s First Year
Help, Thanks, Wow
Bird by Bird
Traveling Mercies
Some Assembly Required – A Journal of my Son’s first Son

Maybe it’s because I find myself in a tender time of life, where I feel like I’m hanging out everywhere and can’t seem to put myself back into myself, as in I’m uncontainable – that’s probably not a word – I’m okay with that. Or because I like reading someone laugh at herself as much as I laugh at my own self, or because I like someone else admitting how hard life is sometimes. Whatever the reason, I am inspired and grateful for Anne Lamott and her willingness to write about her life and her faith in such color and with deep personal vulnerability.

On finding your voice in Bird by Bird “…you can’t get to any of these truths by sitting in a field smiling beatifically, avoiding your anger and damage and grief. Your anger and damage and grief are the way to the truth. We don’t have much truth to express unless we have gone into those rooms and closets and woods and abysses that we were told not to go in to. When we have gone in and looked around for a long while, just breathing and finally take it in-then we will be able to speak in our own voice and to stay in the present moment. And that moment is home.” (201)

If you like honesty and humor and a good laugh at the things we mostly try to avoid and find hard to admit to feeling – you’ll like Anne Lamott.

I started with Traveling Mercies years ago …

Much love,

Tina