–The Art of Slow Writing by Louise DeSalvo
So, so good. I only put it down when I absolutely had to.
–The Courage To Create by Rollie May
I loved this one so much that the second I finished it, I searched for more of his books and ordered Man’s Search for Himself. He’s brilliant.
–The Artist’s Way Toolkit by Julia Cameron
This reminded me what my morning pages are really for: taking action. It led me to another one of her books…
–Write for Life
Easily one of the best books I’ve read about writing. It does what every book on writing wants to do: it makes you actually write. That’s her whole motto—just write. Even if you have nothing to say, write. And if you want to better understand Morning Pages, read The Artist’s Way.
–Fahrenheit 182 by Mark Hoppus
Blink-182 was my favorite band growing up, so when Mark Hoppus released this memoir in March, I had to read it. It’s hilarious and surprisingly moving. One of the best memoirs I’ve read.
–Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change by Ben Austen
Courtney has been telling me to read this for like two years, and holy crap. I apologized for five days straight for not reading it sooner. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. It completely changed the way I see the justice system—and this country’s obsession with mass incarceration. It also made me furious. I said to Courtney, “How the hell is it legal for a person with zero critical thinking skills to determine someone’s future? Shouldn’t they be required to, I don’t know, prove they’ve ever read a book? Jury members are screened for bias—why aren’t parole board members required to show they can think beyond ‘tough on crime’ political soundbites? How is any of this legal?” The answer: it shouldn’t be. Everyone needs to read this book.