Bird by Bird

Some Instructions on Writing and Life

By: Anne Lamott

Narrated by: Anne Lamott

Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An essential volume for generations of writers young and old. The twenty-fifth anniversary edition of this modern classic will continue to spark creative minds for years to come. Anne Lamott is "a warm, generous, and hilarious guide through the writer’s world and its treacherous swamps" (Los Angeles Times).

“Superb writing advice…. Hilarious, helpful, and provocative.” —The New York Times Book Review

For a quarter century, more than a million readers and listeners—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. Advice that begins with the simple words of wisdom passed down from Anne’s father—also a writer—in the iconic passage that gives the book its title:

“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”

©2023 Penguin Random House Audio (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Superb writing advice. . . . Hilarious, helpful, and provocative.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Bird by Bird would be worth reading just for Lamott’s elegant, moving, and often-hilarious prose. But the advice she offers is just as fantastic as the style with which it’s delivered.”—Forbes

“Anne Lamott understands better than anyone that writers need help. . . . She writes so well, in fact, that it’s hard to believe that she, too, has trouble with writing. That’s what’s so deeply comforting about this book.”—The Wall Street Journal

Appealing

This author’s work was highlighted as one of the best tools to get started writing my manuscript for my doctoral nursing scholar project. I believe that this was an exceptional suggestion to get started. The technique in which she chose to present her ideas on writing are the cure for writers block. She gives thought provoking ideas to writing. Also, the way in which she presented her information was humorous member of memorable and useful I actually became tearful at one point, because her writing style gave me encouragement

Beautiful!

I laughed, I cried. Mostly I soared through it and was sad when it ended.

Simply wonderful!

This has been one of the best books I ever read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Just write, writing is enough in and of itself!

I had heard so many good things about this book and It did not disappoint. I've loved so many of Anne's books, but waited to listen to this one as I knew I needed to have the space and time to really listen intentionally as well as stop to write whenever I was moved to do so. Bird by Bird is a gift to anyone who reads it.

A must read/listen for everyone!

Just wonderful, deep yet light, so relatable observations!
You are going to immediately accept yourself as a bit more normal than you thought you were.
I loved it!

Best book about writing I’ve read

I’m crying because this book is over and I never wanted it to end. It’s so honest and deep and hilarious and ridiculous. I’m already mimicking her writing…reading.

Totally worth the listen

Honestly, I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I went into it looking for instructions on writing, and got so much more. I got ways of viewing writing as a craft, ways of coping with aspects of that lifestyle, ways of developing characters and stories, and ways of living. Her honesty throughout the whole thing was a breath of fresh air, and I the fact that it was read by the author really added to the experience. I would definitely recommend reading this, as it is both short and sweet :D

Revelatory, Hilarious, Inspiring

Read [listen to] this book! Incredibly insightful and laugh-out-loud hysterically funny. As Anne writes, “exactness of prose.”

Perfect

Just simply amazing. Inspiring, weirdly relatable without being relatable! Listening again to apply to my own writing.

Great book

Great stories about being a better person and writer. I gave this book to my kids as they begin their journey in literature.