Silence, Writing, and Anne Lemott

Some books stimulate the muscle between the ears.

"The thing about light is that it really isn't yours; it's what you gather and shine back. And it gets more power from reflectiveness; if you set still and take it in, it fills your cup, and then you can give it off yourself."
Anne Lamott - Traveling Mercies

I spied Lamott's Traveling Mercies on the library shelf while sitting in a meeting at church. No doubt donated by a progressive parishioner, I was familiar with her name from years of referencing her writing helps in Bird by Bird. I plucked this volume, subtitled Some Thoughts on Faith, and reflected--what am I doing?I'm in the middle of three book studies and have 17 books I have not read, plus I have this blog and my novel to edit and complete. I devoured this personal epistle of short stories in less than a week, and I don't want to give it back. What do you think God thinks about covetousness to the point of stealing a book from the church library, Anne? No doubt, he loves me.

I'll probably purchase this one for my own library, but first I'm anxious to reread it on several different levels. Published in '99, it's still poignant and satisfying in an armchair coffee-sipping type way, but her faith journey in brutal honesty fascinates the author wanna-be in me. Anne's poetic prose infuse me; make me want to write more creatively with sincerity and openness, and lest I lie, covett the other two books on the church shelf by Lamott.