Working: Writer Anne Lamott’s Difficult Personal Truths

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3.8 • 546 Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2024

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, host June Thomas talks to the prolific writer Anne Lamott, whose latest book is called Somehow: Thoughts on Love. In the interview, Anne discusses the origin of her new book, the challenges of writing deeply personal memoirs, and the importance of writing groups. After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler discuss Anne’s “bird-by-bird” writing advice. They also talk about why they share certain personal details–and not others–in their nonfiction writing and on the podcast. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Anne talks about the legacy of her book Bird By Bird and shares some of her favorite books on writing. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This drive to publish start so early enough way before we're writing because in America, it's all that forward thrust to success and accomplishment and whether or not you're going to be graded for it.
0:24.0	And if you're not going to be graded for it, what's the point?
0:29.9	Welcome back to Working. I'm your host, Isaac Butler.
0:33.5	And I'm your other host, June Thomas.
0:36.1	June, it is so lovely to see you on this hot May afternoon, getting the air conditioning turned on for the first time.
0:42.1	Let me ask whose voice was that we heard at the top of the show?
0:45.5	Hot May afternoon, Isaac, it is 54 degrees where I am.
0:48.7	But to answer your question, I am wonderful, thank you, especially because the voice we just heard belongs to writer
0:56.3	Anne Lamotte, who has a new book out called Somehow Thoughts on Love.
1:01.3	Amazing. I remember fondly assigning her legendary essay, shitty first drafts to my students
1:07.5	every year I taught writing, which gave them the permission to just relax and
1:12.1	start working on the thing so that you can later make it better. Tell me, are there any
1:16.6	extra tidbits for Slate Plus listeners today? You know there are, Isaac. Slate Plus members will
1:22.2	learn which craft writing books, Anne Lamott recommends, I also asked about her favorite books about
1:28.8	love, the topic of her new book, and I was both surprised and moved by her answer.
1:35.0	Well, if you are a member of Slate Plus, you can be surprised and moved when you hear that
1:41.5	segment, which is waiting for you at the end of our regular show. If you're not a member of Slate Plus, don't you want to be surprised and moved on a
1:49.1	regular basis? Well, now you can by going to slate.com slash working plus signing up today. You'll
1:55.5	get full access behind the paywall on Slate.com. Bonus episodes of shows like slow burn and decodering, bonus segments on
2:03.0	shows like hours, and you will get to rest easy at night, knowing that you are supporting what we
2:08.4	do right here on working. Go to slate.com slash working plus to sign up.
2:16.3	All right, that's enough pitching for me. Now let's listen in on June's conversation
	...

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