Beyond the Writers' Workshop

April 15, 2001
Prolific author Bly (The Passionate, Accurate Story; My Lord Bag of Rice), who teaches ethics-in-literature at the University of Minnesota, has written a useful analysis of the existing archetypes of creative writing programs. Bly looks at the many built-in problems of writing workshops whose dogmatic emphasis of techniques and neglect of ideas often prevent writers from creating their most passionate work. But Bly goes further than merely pinpointing the problems of the existing creative writing programs: this revealing study is replete with constructive advice on how to write meaningful nonfiction by incorporating techniques from psychotherapy and neuroscience. Bly also advocates giving school students, the poor, and the have-nots of society a forum through writing that will let them express what moves them. She ends the book with 15 writing exercises, usage sheets, and sample writing class agendas. Most suitable for writing teachers looking for something new to spark their students, this manual is recommended for all academic and large public libraries. Lisa J. Cihlar, Monroe P.L., WI

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2001
Plenty of how-to-write-creative-nonfiction books address technique, but accomplished writer Bly takes technique to a level well beyond the usual plot, scene, character, and dialogue. She applies the philosophical theory of stage development to the writing process and shows writers how to use a technique she calls empathic inquiry as a means to discover their own deeper truths and to dislodge writing blocks. Her approach helps writers discover patterns of thinking that may include both passion and ambivalence about a single subject and to use these complex connections to transform early drafts into deeper and more compelling works. In fact, it's when writers address their often-contradictory attitudes and minute-by-minute changes in thinking to create surprising pairings that they create the stuff of which literature is made. Bly's pointed insights into the writer's obligation to tell the truth are a welcome addition to an often-tired discussion. Appendixes include insightful writing exercises and an eclectic array of helpful strategies, formats, and agendas.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)