Denise Kiernan is a multiple New York Timesbestselling author of narrative nonfiction books including The Girls Of Atomic City, The Last Castle, and We Gather Together. With more than 25 years of experience writing newspaper and magazine articles, books, and more, Kiernan also travels the country speaking at schools, universities, corporations, and more about her work and about the writing process. She created and hosts the series CRAFT: Authors in Conversation, during which she dives into the psyches, habits, and hopes of writers from all walks. For the series, she has interviewed bestselling authors, award-winning journalists, television writers, and Academy Award winnersabout how they do what they do, and what writing means to them.
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CRAFT: Authors In Conversation
CRAFT’s concept is simple:
After years of interviewing fellow authors at my local indie bookstore, Malaprop’s, here in Asheville, NC, I wanted to create a conversation series that would move beyond the longstanding setting and parameters of the typical book tour and provide a much more intimate experience for readers. In non-COVID times, I sit down with a writer in my local speakeasy, Little Jumbo. Presently, CRAFT streams live on Crowdcast. However, no matter the setting, I talk to my guest writer not only about their latest publication, but also the craft of writing itself. For each featured author—whether interviewed in person or streaming online—the Little Jumbo staff creates a specialty cocktail (or mocktail) inspired by either the author’s featured book or the author themselves.
If there is one book on or about writing that I, personally, have read over and over, it is this one. King’s book is truly a writer’s memoir, but he infuses this writer’s life story with frank and accessible information about the craft itself. By candidly sharing his own struggles as a human and a writer, King shows by example on the page what it takes to be a great storyteller.
Twentieth Anniversary Edition with Contributions from Joe Hill and Owen King
ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S TOP 100 NONFICTION BOOKS OF ALL TIME
Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.
“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the…
One of the more moving and inspiring books on writing ever. As a journalist and author, Ueland’s writing style is lovely and completely engaging. As she shares stories of her time spent as a teacher of writing, the idea of what “art” or “good writing” takes on a very human and compelling air. The anecdotes illustrate the dedication, breadth, and challenges faced by her wide variety of students, ultimately giving hope to us all.
Brenda Ueland was a journalist, editor, freelance writer, and teacher of writing. In If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit she shares her philosophies on writing and life in general. Ueland firmly believed that anyone can write, that everyone is talented, original, and has something important to say. In this book she explains how find that spark that will make you a great writer. Carl Sandburg called this book the best book ever written about how to write. Join the millions of others who've found inspiration and unlocked their own talent.
I love Anne Lamott’s writing so much I once accosted her in the baggage claim area of the San Francisco International Airport. She was unbelievably gracious. When I was frustrated and anxious and filled with doubt about my writing career, I turned to her book. Again. Beautifully written, authentic, and truly uplifting and inspiring when a writer needs it most.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An essential volume for generations of writers young and old. The twenty-fifth anniversary edition of this modern classic will continue to spark creative minds for years to come. Anne Lamott is "a warm, generous, and hilarious guide through the writer’s world and its treacherous swamps" (Los Angeles Times).
“Superb writing advice…. Hilarious, helpful, and provocative.” —The New York Times Book Review
For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. Advice that begins with the simple words of wisdom…
For anyone who has ever struggled with or merely wanted to hone their abilities to craft a compelling story structure, Franklin’s book is a gem. Examples taken from Franklin’s own Pulitzer Prize-winning work adds an instructive clarity that allows the reader to step inside the decision-making process that went into some of his most lauded work. Any writer—fiction, nonfiction, academic—can use this book to up their storytelling game.
The new "nonfiction" the adaptation of storytelling techniques to journalistic articles in the manner of Truman Capote, Tom Wolfe, and John McPhee is an innovative genre that has been awarded virtually every Pulitzer Prize for literary journalism since 1979. And now Jon Franklin, himself a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and undisputed master of the great American nonfiction short story, shares the secrets of his success. Franklin shows how to make factual pieces come alive by applying the literary techniques of complication/resolution, flashback, foreshadowing, and pace. He illustrates his points with a close analysis and annotation of two of his most…
Everyone needs a style guide to occasionally lean on while writing. As longtime copy chief at Random House, Dreyer has more than a little knowledge about how to make a sentence stylishly sing. Anyone and everyone can benefit from this book, no matter what they need to type or pen. Best of all, it is also a fun read. There have been many of these kinds of books to come and go over the years, but Dreyer’s is what sits on my desk. (Gosh, I hope this didn’t have any typos!)
'An utterly delightful book to read, Dreyer's English will stand among the classics on how to use the English language properly.' ELIZABETH STROUT
'A complete joy. For those who care about words - and for those who don't - Dreyer's English is the book we have all been waiting for. Wise, funny, no-nonsense, stylish and brilliantly practical.' RACHEL JOYCE _____________ An indispensable, New York Times-bestselling guide to the craft of writing from Random House's long-time copy chief and one of Twitter's leading language gurus.
We all write, all the time: books, blogs, tweets, emails, emails, emails - and we all…
After years of interviewing fellow authors at my local indie bookstore, Malaprop’s, here in Asheville, NC, I wanted to create a conversation series that would move beyond the longstanding setting and parameters of the typical book tour and provide a much more intimate experience for readers. In non-COVID times, I sit down with a writer in my local speakeasy, Little Jumbo. Presently, CRAFT streams live on Crowdcast. However, no matter the setting, I talk to my guest writer not only about their latest publication, but also the craft of writing itself. For each featured author—whether interviewed in person or streaming online—the Little Jumbo staff creates a specialty cocktail (or mocktail) inspired by either the author’s featured book or the author themselves.
I’m an OB/GYN, passionate about adventuring beyond what’s expected. This has led me to pivot multiple times in my career, now focusing on writing. I’ve written a play, The Post-Roe Monologues, to elevate women’s stories. I cherish the curiosity that drives outer and inner exploration, and I love memoirs that skillfully weave the two. The books on this list feature extraordinary women who took risks, left comfort and safety, and battled vulnerability to step into the unknown. These authors moved beyond the stories they’d believed about themselves–or that others told about them. They invite you to think about living fuller and bigger lives.
Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.
The team attempts a new route up the East Face without the use of supplemental oxygen, Sherpa support, or chance for rescue. When three climbers disappear during their summit attempt, Zieman reaches the knife edge of her limits and digs deeply to fight for the climbers’ lives and to find her voice.
The plan was outrageous: A small team of four climbers would attempt a new route on the East Face of Mt. Everest, considered the most remote and dangerous side of the mountain, which had only been successfully climbed once before. Unlike the first large team, Mimi Zieman and her team would climb without using supplemental oxygen or porter support. While the unpredictable weather and high altitude of 29,035 feet make climbing Everest perilous in any condition, attempting a new route, with no idea of what obstacles lay ahead, was especially audacious. Team members were expected to push themselves to their…
