As I was packing for my recent fabric collage quilt retreat, along with sample quilts, glue, and scissors, I made sure to include my battered and well-traveled copy of Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. That’s my copy above, complete with coffee stains and dog-ears. As suggested by the subtitle of the book, it is about more than writing.
Each morning of a class, I do a demonstration to get my students going for the day. On the first morning, I talk about drafts—first drafts, second drafts, and so on. Lamott has the wisest most generous things to say about using drafts to unblock creativity of all sorts, so I always wind up reading a few choice passages to fortify my students. If you ever find yourself struggling to start, or to keep going on a project, I highly recommend this book.
Today’s Throwback Thursday is my blogpost from almost two years ago, describing how I use the book in class. On Saturday, in your regular post, I’ll cover last week’s four-day fabric collage quilt retreat at the Harpswell Inn here in my hometown. You can be sure that Bird by Bird was featured in the class.
“Bird by Bird”: How I Use a Book on Writing to Teach Fabric Collage
Bird by Bird and Other Fabric Collage Supplies Available Through My Fabric Collage Toolkit
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Susan,
I saw your recommendation of this book so I ordered it and read it. It truly is a wonderful book and it gives sage advice to any creative person. It is a great book.