Foolsgold

May 1, 2007
This work by poet and writing instructor Wooldridge(California Poets in the Schools Prog.; "Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words") suffers from an identity crisis. Its introduction states that it is "about being yourself, alone...the journey toward being your own star and drawing from encounters and findings along the way." However, it is more memoir than self-help. Each chapter contains Wooldridge's reflections about an event in her own lifediverse subjects ranging from her encounter with a blue heron named Hank to her father's death. Her anecdotes are enjoyable and meaningful, but she gives the briefest glimpse of what might have been a deeply moving, poignant story, then cuts herself short in order to give the reader advice. The interruptions make it seem as though the advice is unsolicited. Wooldridge would have been better off sticking to memoir and letting us draw our own conclusions. There are many better books available to help spark the creative process, including Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way" and Carolyn See's "Making a Literary Life". Not recommended.Renee Axtell, Independence, MO

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