Response to Bird by Bird
“We are a species that needs and wants to understand who we are. Sheep lice do not seem to share this longing, which is one reason why they write so very little.” Anne Lamott opens her piece Bird by Bird with this telling line, off which she bases much of the book. She tells us that we write to learn about who we are, which sounds pretty easy at first. She goes on to tell us though in this piece that it is not that easy at all. Our thoughts on ourselves come out in incoherent blurbs that often have no distinct beginning, end or logical timeline. Our writing starts off confused, Lamott says, and that’s ok. This piece goes on to tell us how to refine that confusion into something that is logical and understandable, and does in fact tell us who we are. It is often a long and arduous process, but it is one worth completing.
Next entry: Comments Coming...
Previous entry: Two American Monsters: Consumerism and SUVs