I'm sure there have been more than two great books written about the act and art of writing, but there were two of them in particular that helped me inch ever closer to finding my voice as a writer. Stephen King's "On Writing" was filled with great advice from the master about how to treat writing like a realistic career, and Anne Lamott's "Bird By Bird," which took the nuts and bolts of finding character, decoding plot, unspooling dialogue and building the bones of a structure and made it all feel accessible and not terrifyingly overwhelming for me when I'm trying to write fiction.
Anne Lamott will be coming to Central Oregon for the 11th season of the Author! Author! literary series which acts as a fundraiser for the Deschutes Public Library Foundation, enabling Bend and its environs to have the world-class public library system we currently enjoy. As exciting as it is to have Lamott coming, also on the docket is the astonishing Stephanie Land, author of "Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive," and Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of the immensely popular "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants."
"We selected three authors who share themes of finding resilience, courage, gratitude and hope through immense difficulty and everyday living," says Chantal Strobel, assistant director of Community Engagement for the Deschutes Public Library. "Their books clarify there is great strength in taking action to improve our lives through finding gratitude, hope and grace in ourselves, in others, and in nature."
Everyone I've talked to who has read "Braiding Sweetgrass" has been deeply moved by the experience. "It's a timely reframing of Western ecological science with consideration to traditional indigenous beliefs," says Erin B., a bookseller at Big Story Bookstore. "Kimmerer's teachings are deeply relevant in Central Oregon where conservation and ethical resource stewardship are a daily concern. The book asks us to consider the history of the land and its peoples while remaining hopeful that humans and nature can return to a sustainable and symbiotic relationship."
I'm not as familiar with Stephanie Land's "Maid" as a memoir however, I was completely captivated by the Netflix miniseries (I don't like being the person who has seen the show but not read the book).
"Similar to Lamott, Stephanie Land writes with directness and honesty about her mistakes, her struggles and her belief that by moving through is the only way out," says Strobel. "In Maid,' and her recent memoir, 'Class,' Land details the abuse she escaped, the difficulty of living in poverty, the challenge of being poor and at the same time getting access to the work and resources needed to rise above poverty."
These are world-class writers and the Author! Author! series has spent over a decade connecting people who love words with the people that spin them into something unforgettable. Over the years I've been able to hear writers including Sherman Alexie, Colson Whitehead, Mary Roach, my hero James McBride, Jennifer Egan and Michael Chabon (among many others) share their words and lives with a rapt audience. Just being in the same room as James McBride was a bucket list moment come to fruition. This series is important. It's a big deal.
Strobel once again gets to the heart of why this series is such a monumental achievement: "We build community one author, one book at a time through reading, listening and learning together. The Author! Author! literary series is a fundraiser for the Library Foundation to ensure Deschutes County has robust libraries to enrich future generations." Books and libraries in particular are more important than ever before in 2023. This is something worth showing up for.
