Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Bird by Bird (SparkNotes Literature Guide)
    Unavailable
    Bird by Bird (SparkNotes Literature Guide)
    Unavailable
    Bird by Bird (SparkNotes Literature Guide)
    Ebook82 pages1 hour

    Bird by Bird (SparkNotes Literature Guide)

    By SparkNotes

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Bird by Bird (SparkNotes Literature Guide) by Ann Lamott
    Making the reading experience fun!

    Created by Harvard students for students everywhere, SparkNotes is a new breed of study guide: smarter, better, faster.Geared to what today's students need to know, SparkNotes provides:chapter-by-chapter analysis
    explanations of key themes, motifs, and symbols
    a review quiz and essay topics
    Lively and accessible, these guides are perfect for late-night studying and writing papers.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSparkNotes
    Release dateAug 12, 2014
    ISBN9781411474147
    Unavailable
    Bird by Bird (SparkNotes Literature Guide)

    Read more from Spark Notes

    Related authors

    Related to Bird by Bird (SparkNotes Literature Guide)

    Related ebooks

    General Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      A YEAR’S WORTH OF inspiration

      Jan 29, 2022

      1. Write about a memory that epitomizes cozy for you. What makes this memory feel so warm and snug? What concrete details can you add to make the scene feel lushly atmospheric on the page? 2. The dark and cold of winter can make it a hated season for

      13 min read

    • Article

      A Writer’s Toolbox

      Jan 30, 2018

      1. I pulled the heavy red book down from my dad’s bookshelf. Bryan A. Garner’s A Dictionary of Modern American Usage, its cover announced. “David Foster Wallace said it’s the only usage guide he ever consulted,” my dad said, a note of pride in his vo

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letting Go

      Feb 15, 2023

      THEY tell you to write the book you’re afraid to write. But let’s be honest: It’s scary to write any book. There’s the fear you won’t be able to write it. The fear you’ll write it and won’t be able to sell it. The fear you’ll sell it and it will flop

      10 min read

    • Article

      Anne Lamott

      Nov 2, 2020

      Anne Lamott
      6 min read

    • Article

      In The Beginning

      Nov 13, 2021

      In The Beginning
      4 min read

    • Article

      Write-minded

      Jan 29, 2022

      Write-minded
      3 min read

    • Article

      Don’t Give Up

      Nov 13, 2021

      Don’t Give Up
      4 min read

    • Article

      I’d Like to Thank the Academy

      Oct 15, 2021

      Many of my students, and even some younger colleagues, think—assume—that creative nonfiction is just part of the literary ecosystem; it’s always been around, like fiction or poetry. In many ways, of course, they are right: the kind of writing that is

      10 min read

    • Article

      On Semicolons And The Rules Of Writing

      Jul 10, 2018

      1. Kurt Vonnegut’s caution against the use of semicolons is one of the most famous and canonical pieces of writing advice, an admonition that has become, so to speak, one of The Rules. More on these rules later, but first the infamous quote in questi

      6 min read

    • Article

      A Starter Kit For Writing Memoir

      Jun 20, 2020

      Sorry, are you writing an autobiography? If so, you’re right – you should tell us all about your childhood, your middle-grade years, your high school experience, etc. But unless you’re famous – and we mean really famous – your odds of selling an auto

      9 min read

    • Article

      Debbie Millman: Why Does Design Matter?

      Sep 25, 2020

      For Debbie Millman, host of the podcast Design Matters, design is everywhere. She joins Manoush to explore ideas and curate talks about the role of design in our lives.

      1 min read

    • Article

      Life’s Too Short

      Jul 29, 2019

      Life’s Too Short
      5 min read

    • Article

      Read Fat, Write Fat

      Feb 27, 2021

      Read Fat, Write Fat
      5 min read

    Reviews for Bird by Bird (SparkNotes Literature Guide)

    4/5

    1,945 ratings131 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Any non-fiction written by Lamott is guaranteed to be a pleasure: her voice is so enchanting, and her humor so blackly funny, her books are like a lunch date with a close friend. Bird by Bird has the added benefit of offering excellent tidbits for writers, or anyone needing to follow their inner voice.
    • 4/5
      Ask anyone who writes what books they would recommend, and this one is sure to be on the list. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed On Writing. I did think there was some good advice — taking things 'bird by bird' and looking at the world through a 1-inch picture frame come to mind — and I appreciated her description of what it’s like to be published, but the rest of it just didn’t speak to me like I expected it to. I still would recommend it to those who want to write, and I’ll keep it on my bookshelf, but I don’t think it is a book I will refer back to over and over again.
    • 2/5
      Not was I was expecting
    • 5/5
      I've read this book before, I know I have, but I can't find a review I wrote about it anywhere. So I either didn't finish it or didn't review it. This time I remedied both.

      Anne Lamott has a special way of writing that sounds like you're having a conversation with her… a really eloquent, thought-out conversation. She seems very approachable and realistic and doesn't make writing out to be something only the truly gifted can do. She talks about her struggles and her jealousy and her doubts and how being a published writer hasn't made her life a fairy tale, like many people might think. It was incredibly refreshing to read. It doesn't hurt that she's hilarious in a sly, dark way.

      I read this book in two nights before bed, and with every page I wanted to jump up and start writing something, just to be putting words on the page. She's that good.

      Some favorite quotes:
      - "One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to do things, to go places and explore. Another is that writing motivates you to look closely at life as it lurches by and tramps around."
      - "Because for some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die."
      - "Think of those times when you've read prose or poetry that is presented in such a way that you have a fleeting sense of being startled by beauty or insight, by a glimpse into someone's soul. All of a sudden everything seems to fit together or at least have some meaning for a moment."
    • 5/5
      This was an incredible, enthusiastic piece of work on the nature of writing and life itself. Lamott manages to carve out pieces of her own journey, alongside her soul, to illustrate what it means to be a writer- to exist in that delicate space where no one can destroy you. The writing is fluid and the prose is sharp. There is not a word wasted here, and never one too many. I was thoroughly impressed.Full marks: 5 stars.
    • 2/5
      Essentially worthless, except there is a good exercise about elementary school lunch.
    • 4/5
      I picked up this book because I thought it was about birds. Its title and cover art were certainly deceiving. Nevertheless, when I found out it was about writing, I was pleased. I figured I could always use more advice in that realm. Each of us might not have the talent to write well, but we do have the ability to improve our writing. For those of us who want to try our hand at writing, this is an excellent book with which to begin. Bird by Bird is organized in such a way that it is possible to dip into an appropriate chapter based on whatever topic is most pertinent at a particular time. Very easy to read, it dispenses advice in a friendly and humorous manner. The book deals more with the psychology of writing than with its technical aspects, but this is what many people need to even begin.I’d recommend this book for anyone who wishes to write, is uncertain about his or her writing ability, or has writer's block. It has inspired me to try to improve my writing. I’ll now be passing this book along to a friend whom I hope to encourage to begin writing once again.
    • 5/5
      I just love Anne Lamott and her instructions to writers in this book is positively priceless. Rather than writing a how-to writing tome, she guides us through some of the activities that inform her own writing, many of them now part of my own repetoire as a writer.She's funny, honest, and her advice is spot on.
    • 5/5
      I read this book in two days during Memorial weekend 2006
    • 4/5
      Read based on suggestion of So Many Books. Enjoyed
    • 4/5
      WONDERFUL book on patience -- in writing and in life
    • 5/5
      Anne Lamott, a writer of fiction and nonfiction, distills the advice she gives to her creative writing students. Using her two cornerstones of writing -- short assignments and "shitty first drafts" -- a lot of humor, personal stories, and memorable metaphors, this is unlike any writing how-to book I've ever read. She doesn't beat you over the head with "you must write every day" (though she suggests writing at least 300 words a day, even if you only write about how much you don't want to write) or give you a formula. She doesn't making writing sound easy but doable, not overwhelming. It made me want to pick up a pen and write myself.
    • 5/5
      You should read this book. Even if you don't ever intend to write a single word for fun or profit, you should read this book. It is hilarious and heartbreaking and awesome and painful to read, and I did not want it to end.
    • 4/5
      A surprisingly hysterical book about writing and, as the title implies, life. The hype surrounding Lamott's book is definitely well-earned and I can't wait to read more of her work. Much of her advice on writing is practical and no-nonsense as she addresses the difficulties of writing and getting published.If I had one complaint it would be that I wasn't as inspired to write by the end of the book as I was to be Anne's friend. I definitely appreciated her twisted and unusual sense of humor (I often laughed out loud, not something I was expecting during chapters about editing, publishing, etc.). For example, her thoughts on libel: "If you disguise this person carefully so that he cannot be recognized by the physical and professional facts of his life, you can use him in your work. And the best advice I can give you is to give him a teenie little penis so he will be less likely to come forth."
    • 5/5
      This is more or less a distilled version of one of Lamott's writing courses. In it she explains the importance of shitty first drafts, short assignments, and writing partners, among other things. She shares many intimate moments from her life, both writing and otherwise, as well as her responses to the usual questions from her students. This book came recommended as one of those books that every aspiring writer must read. In a way I agree with this: Lamott is brutally honest about the trials and tribulations of writing without sounding bleak or condescending (like some other people I have read). On the contrary, she's very funny. Her descriptions of her anguish as she waits for a response from her agent and her suspicion that all her friends are having a party behind her back are great, mostly because I - like most writers - have definitely been there. She puts a humorous spin on the artistic angst that comes with the territory. You may feel like every other writer on the planet sits down at their computer with a sunny disposition and a thousand ideas that pour out like liquid gold onto the page, but that's simply not true. Lamott's entertaining wit helped remind me that all this nonsense really is normal, and the only remedy is to get back to writing.However, this book did not fill me with the heaping piles of inspiration that other writing books have in the past. Some part of me is now filled with the newfound fear that I am neither brave enough nor honest enough to churn out truly excellent fiction. But in the end, perhaps that's not really the point. After all, if you're not writing because you want to write - if you just want to be published and receive all the attention and reassurance that you believe it brings (which it really doesn't) - then maybe you should be rethinking this whole writing thing. To the artist, the creation of the art, however anxiety-ridden or frustrating or exhausting the process may be at times, is its own reward. Sure, it may never be published and nobody but your family may ever read it, but you still can change lives. Maybe even your own.
    • 4/5
      A wonderfully enjoyable resource as well as a great anecdote to the process of writing. From general ideas and "shitty first drafts" to the final product, you'll be provided with suggestions and ideas on how to improve or start writing.A great outside view on the writing process that numerous professors have recommended but only one of the few that I've actually added to my library.
    • 4/5
      Lamott can be rambly, but her advice on writing is both encouraging and discouraging (in a good way, if that makes sense). I appreciated her brutal honesty about the process of writing and being a writer, especially. I really don't have the discipline to be a serious writer, but I was at least inspired to continue to write here and there, even if I never show it to anyone else.
    • 5/5
      When I was young and first started to write, my grandmother put this book in my hands and I've been hooked on it ever since. Anne Lamott writes amusing and well written advice and stories that a great for aspiring writers or anyone with a sense of humor.
    • 4/5
      This is a “warts and all” guide to a writer’s life by one of my favorite authors. Lamott shares her realities as a writer and writing instructor, with a down-to-earth style that makes you feel like you can write too. The title is a reference to the advice her writer father gave to his son when he was struggling with a book report about birds: “Just take it bird by bird.” And it is that kind of succinct and realistic advice you’ll find here. And as the title says, the lessons aren’t just about writing…they are about living too.
    • 5/5
      I've used selected sections of this book in the classes I teach on composition, and I do believe Lamott offers some of the best advice I've ever read on being a writer.
    • 5/5
      If you create--writing, painting, art, ANYTHING-- Bird by Bird is THE book in my opinion. It's not a how-to guide, but a way of viewing the creative process. My favorite thing by Anne Lamott.
    • 5/5
      Anne Lemott makes me want to stand up and cheer. “Yes!” I shout for her words of encouragement, advice, painful truth. Like the best of us, her painful truths become opportunities for comedic self-deprecation. Admitting to visions of schadenfreude during her moments of literary jealousy, she quotes a Clive James poem: “The book of my enemy has been remaindered.” Admitting to a tendency towards fragility to criticism, she advises that if someone you admire has refused to read your work, “pretend to be friendly, so she won’t think less of you than she already does. Then you can move into a trailer park near your therapist’s house until you’re well enough again to ask someone else.” My favorite bit of advice relates to the problem of using real-life characters in your fiction. In addition to making your character a composite and disguising personal characteristics, she recommends that you “throw in the teenie little penis and anti-Semitic leanings,” and the model for your character is quite unlikely to come forward. Not only entertaining, Lamott’s Bird by Bird is packed with sound advice on writing and many wise tidbits about life. Treat yourself to an uplifting read.
    • 5/5
      It is an encouraging book, and the author has a great sense of humor.
    • 4/5
      Great book, so glad I read it. I'm sure I'll read it again and again. I loved the stories about her son, especially. What a comical child, and perfect material for a book like this.

      I only gave her four stars because her mixed metaphors got a little annoying at points.
    • 5/5
      Oh my goodness. This book was so heartfelt and beautifully written, and above all, FUNNY! I think perhaps it beats the top spot for my favourite and most inspiring writing manuals. Not only does Anne talk give advice for writers, she is open about her own shortfalls and about the shortfalls of the world of publishing. She asks us to write for ourselves, for our children and for the truth, rather than for money, because it isn't all its cracked up to be. I loved her description of how she felt when her book was about to be published, how she felt when the reviews came out. Or how it feels to submit a manuscript to an editor and check the mail fifty times a day. Beautiful.
    • 5/5
      This is one of those deeply philosophical books for me that takes a long time to read. I have to savor, and underline, and re read, and highlight. It is thoroughly practical and sympathetic to the human condition, and the role that writing plays within it.
    • 3/5
      Better than expected.
    • 4/5
      I had always somehow thought of Anne Lamott as sappy, but it turns out she is actually funny and insightful and interesting. In her writing advice, at least, but I suspect also in her fiction, which I might also have to read now. This was the perfect thing to read to get ready for NaNoWriMo: equal parts inspiring and plainly useful.
    • 1/5
      I'm going to echo what many other reviewers have said about this book, mainly that it's a self-indulgent, whiny and contains very little actual advice for writing or life, but I think it's necessary to add that it has aged very badly. Thus, it is pretty useless for an aspiring writer in the 21st century.Lamott's paroxysms of angst over writing restaurant reviews on a typewriter or word processor over the luxurious span of several days to a week that she then snail mails to an editor come off as quaint tales of olden days to the modern writer. Today, authors post their progress and publication dates on several social media outlets and, more often than not, blog about ancillary topics while working on their novels. So Lamott's reassurances that successful writers stare at empty screen and "wool gather" or, in one of the worst examples of many terrible analogies in the book, rock back and forth like an autistic child, comes off as hopelessly out of touch with writers, the publishing world and writing in general. Perhaps because I've worked in modern newsrooms with same-hour deadlines, I couldn't help but think if writing was this difficult and torturous for her, maybe Lamott should have examined other avenues to channel her efforts through. And it became increasingly difficult to take her seriously as a writer with each passing page.For example, Lamott's description of how she nearly lost the third portion of an advance for one of her novels but regained it by going on a cocaine-laced bender and showing up at her editor's house -- his personal home, mind you -- and explaining what her novel was supposed to be only reinforced the growing sense I had while reading the book that this was a woman who desperately wanted to be a writer, didn't really have the talent, but through leveraging already-existing contacts shoehorned her way into moderate success. She portrays the subsequent plot treatment requested by the editor, receipt of the advance portion and publication of the book as a success, but I found it to be rather sad and pathetic.The glaring truth that really makes this book a difficult read is that Lamott's writing simply isn't great. Her descriptions are pedestrian, such as "an old black woman from the South". She actually describes special Olympics participants vaguely as all looking "sort of" related to each other (a lazy and insulting description). Lamott also goes on ad nauseum about all the usual writing advice -- let your characters do what they want, carry a notebook everywhere, describe using all five senses etc. -- but her own descriptions are so bland you keep wishing she would take her own advice. The anecdotes alternate between condescending and boring and do nothing to actually shed insight on writing or living a successful life.Finally, Lamott, of course, struggled with neurosis and alcohol and a host of other issues but you can tell she revels in this a bit as part of being a writer. The whole book screams, "See! I drank too much and am a slob and melodramatic and therefore am quirky and eccentric like writers are supposed to be!! But it's OK because I discovered God but refer to God as 'her'! See how pithy and writer-ly I am? Isn't that hilarious?"When her response to getting the second draft of her novel rejected was that "fortunately" she still drank at the time, I knew she was one of those people who love the idea of being a writer but don't actually like writing at all. In fact, she admits that writing is the "fly in the ointment" part of being a writer, which is a bit ridiculous to me. If you're going to write a book meant for aspiring writers, shouldn't you actually like writing? If someone hates writing, it inevitably shows in their final product. That's not an issue one can learn their way out from under. Lamott is a case in point.
    • 5/5
      This is one of those deeply philosophical books for me that takes a long time to read. I have to savor, and underline, and re read, and highlight. It is thoroughly practical and sympathetic to the human condition, and the role that writing plays within it.