Anne Lamott (placeholder)

I heard her speak at a book signing for Traveling Mercies at Black Oak Books in Berkeley. She was as witty and intelligent as her writing.
Even if she did question how I pronounce my name (“Lee”) and how I spell it (“Lea”).
;->

I love Anne Lamott’s writing because she is so clear and honest, sometimes brutally honest. I remain spellbound at how someone so totally “outside” a faith tradition has made her faith an integral part of her life.

I have read every single collection of essays by Ms. Lamott more than once and have gained such strength and peace of mind from her writings. I hope she is aware of how powerful her words are and how much stregth they give others.

i wish there was a contest to meet a.l.—have tea or whatever. i had a virtual meetign with her this past month—first read bird by bird, which i put off for years out of a strange sense of prescient familarity, like not wanting to read a memoir your kid sister wrote about th e disfunctional family—and it was so brilliant and cozy and fun that i had to read it slower and slower and just let it sit on my bed waiting for me like a friend—when it was done i was jonesing for her. the one thing that struck me was how in love she was with her son—as a single mom i had felt the same intense passion—a love that could not be tarnished—but i wondered what had happened to that adorable two year old and how she was dealing with her by-now adolescent.
after a particularly heartbreaking encounter with my oldest something made me run online, like you’d run to a friend—i put her name in and BAM—found her story that included specific descriptions of near thruway accidents, torrents of snot and tears, begging to jesus and mary for mercy—thigns that were dna matches for mine—she makes me want to join a gospel church and put my hair in blonde dreads and be the one she can call when losing it…

Based entirely on her non-fiction books, Anne Lamott seems to be the kind of person I might actually run into in my real life. I can imagine that she would be a great person to sit down with over a cup of coffee and have a great, long chat about the state of the world and why we are all going to hell in a handbasket.

If I did somehow meet her, I think I would want to give her a big hug (I would ask her first) for being so honest, brave, funny, idealistic and flawed. I’ve read letters on Salon where people are really critical of how she interacts with her son. Here’s the thing, though: it is obvious from what Lamott writes that she knows full well when and how she has screwed up. I think she is astonishingly brave to write about her failures as well as her successes. Her books help me to forgive myself for my foibles. Also, I am not Christian, seeing as how I don’t believe in the Messiah, that Jesus was our savior or even in the concept of sin, but when I read Lamott’s books, I almost wish I were. I admire the integrity with which she tries mightily to lead a truly Christian life.

I love her books

I love her books

I love to write, and her book “Bird By Bird” was recommended to me. She has an amazing voice and I admire her honesty. I read the book in relation to writing, but it was more than that. I have reread it probably ten times, and it is still one of my all-time favorites.

great writer, have deep respect for her.