I finished Osamu Tezuka's Buddha series and was very sorry to be done with it. The last volume, Jetavana, was especially poignant and wrapped up the entire story well. I was nearly moved to tears by the account of Buddha's death at the very end. I am really going to miss the series and may need to start it all over again in the near future!
I am also rereading The Five People You Meet in Heaven for the umpteenth time. Some people find this book cheesy while others finds it moving - I am in the latter group. Even the made-for-TV movie version gets me. I remember reading this novel for the first time when it was newly published and being amazed at Albom's talent and creativity. Since it is a short read, I reread it often.
Finally, I am loving Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. This book was recommended to me by a woman I sat next to when I saw Anne Lamott. She said it is great, especially if you think you might ever want to write. (I then informed her that I am a writer :)The book is fabulous. It is teaching me so much about characters, plot development, setting, and even, as one chapter is titled, "shitty first drafts." I highly recommend it to writers.
2 comments:
We used Bird by Bird in freshman writing workshops when I taught at the university. In particular, we started the groups off with the "Shitty First Drafts" chapter. I need to go back and re-read this book now that I'm writing more. At the time, I was so academically focused, it didn't really seem applicable to me.
Sounds like a useful book to read. But then, aren't first drafts supposed to be awful? They look great for about ten seconds after you finish them and then you realise that everything needs changing.
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