The creative gal’s (very) late-start holiday gift guide, part 2

Herewith, my list of newish books that you may want to give the creative types in your life. (Hey, there’s still time for new year’s gifts, right?)

Only as Good as Your Word: Writing Lessons from My Favorite Literary Gurus by Susan Shapiro. Serious kick-in-the-pants inspiration from a book- and article-publishing dynamo. (And I’m not talking about e-books or blog posts; I’m talking about hardcovers and New York Times clips.) Expect to grab your notebook or race to your computer several times before you’ve even hit the third chapter.

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead: Your Words in Print and Your Name in Lights by Ariel Gore. I’ve mentioned this goldmine of ideas and inspiration before. If you’ve recently found yourself whining about how Oprah hasn’t called yet, you need this book. Ariel Gore is here to tell you that a writer or artist makes her own luck, and she’s got just the luck-making recipes little ‘ole undiscovered you needs.

Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers’ Guide edited by Mark Kramer and Wendy Call. If you want to learn from the masters (and again, I don’t mean your favorite blogger), look no further. Susan Orlean, Nora Ephron, Phillip Lopate, and a pile of other literary gods and goddesses weigh in on the fine art of creative nonfiction. Storytelling, interviewing, editing, ethics, discipline — I’m telling you, this book is 300 pages of the best J school lectures you never had.

Hands-Off Cooking: Low-Supervision, High-Flavor Meals for Busy People by Ann Martin Rolke. A godsend for self-employed, artsy types who have a hard time extracting themselves from their creative cocoon and loathe elaborate meal preparation. (It’s not just me, is it?)

On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl’s Guide to Personal Finance by Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar. Because making art is no excuse to not make rent. (Watch for my interview with Manisha and Sharon on this here blog in January!)

2 comments December 20th, 2007