Episode · How I Write · 2026-04-29
Books mentioned on Anne Lamott Teaches Unforgettable Writing | How I Write
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Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Bird by Bird
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott is a widely celebrated and practical guide to the craft of writing and overcoming creative hurdles.
Discussed“She told her students this great formula that I I wrote about in Bird by Bird. It's AB Dce.”
Where to get it
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Far Tortuga
Discussed“Peter Mat's brilliant book, Far Tartuga, is in Ptois, you know, most of it.”
Where to get it
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Help, Thanks, Wow
Discussed“Well, you know, I said in Help, thanks, Father, that laughter is carbonated holiness.”
Where to get it
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A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is a classic comedic novel featuring the eccentric, larger-than-life protagonist Ignatius J.
Discussed“Maybe it's um Ignatius J. Riley in a confederacy of Dun Dunes who has nothing nothing in common with me, but I recognize him as a really dear messed up human like the rest of us.”
Where to get it
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Imperfect Birds
Discussed“I've had a couple of books with a with the word bird in them imperfect birds and bird by bird”
Where to get it
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Still Life at Eighty
Discussed“Abigail Thomas, who's written a book on memoir and and another book, Still Life at 80, she gave me a few of these great prompts.”
Where to get it
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The Artist's Way
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a widely acclaimed self-help guide designed to help readers recover their creative confidence, overcome self-doubt, and establish practical daily artistic habits.
Discussed“Julia Cameron who wrote the artist way.”
Where to get it
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Middlemarch
Middlemarch by George Eliot is widely regarded as a towering masterpiece of nineteenth-century English literature, known for its intricate plotting, profound psychological depth, and sprawling social canvas.
Discussed“like in Middle March, the I think the greatest novel ever written by George Elliot, there are so many moments where a a character has made a decision to do something and you just stop in your traction.”
Where to get it
