Letters to a Young Writer
Some Practical and Philosophical Advice
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Narrated by:
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Colum McCann
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By:
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Colum McCann
About this listen
From the best-selling author of the National Book Award winner Let the Great World Spin comes a lesson in how to be a writer - and so much more than that.
Intriguing and inspirational, this book is a call to look outward rather than inward. McCann asks his listeners to constantly push the boundaries of experience, to see empathy and wonder in the stories we craft and hear.
A paean to the power of language, both by argument and by example, Letters to a Young Writer is fierce and honest in its testament to the bruises delivered by writing as both a profession and a calling. It charges aspiring writers to learn the rules and even break them.
These 52 essays are ultimately a profound challenge to a new generation to bring truth and light to a dark world through their art.
©2017 Colum McCann (P)2017 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Italo Calvino imagines a novel capable of endless mutations in this intricately crafted story about writing and readers. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler turns out to be not one novel but 10, each with a different plot, style, ambience, and author, and each interrupted at a moment of suspense. Together they form a labyrinth of literatures, known and unknown, alive and extinct, through which two readers, a male and a female, pursue both the story lines that intrigue them and one another.
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The position of the feet during reading...
- By literate rose on 02-09-18
By: Italo Calvino
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To Show and to Tell
- The Craft of Literary Nonfiction
- By: Phillip Lopate
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Distinguished author Phillip Lopate, editor of the celebrated anthology The Art of the Personal Essay, is universally acclaimed as “one of our best personal essayists” ( Dallas Morning News). Here, combining more than 40 years of lessons from his storied career as a writer and professor, he brings us this highly anticipated nuts-and-bolts guide to writing literary nonfiction. A phenomenal master class shaped by Lopate’s informative, accessible tone, and immense gift for storytelling.
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Not a guide on writing personal essays
- By A. Yoshida on 08-07-13
By: Phillip Lopate
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Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story
- A Life of David Foster Wallace
- By: D. T. Max
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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David Foster Wallace was the leading literary light of his generation, a man who not only captivated readers with his prose but also mesmerized them with his brilliant mind. In this, the first biography of the writer, D. T. Max sets out to chart Wallace’s tormented, anguished, and often triumphant battle to succeed as a novelist as he fights off depression and addiction to emerge with his masterpiece, Infinite Jest.
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Max avoids hagiography or a sycophant's biography
- By Darwin8u on 06-11-13
By: D. T. Max
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How Fiction Works
- By: James Wood
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Ranging widely from Homer to David Foster Wallace, from What Maisie Knew to Make Way for Ducklings, Wood takes the reader through the basic elements of the art, step by step. He sums up two decades of insight with wit and concision, resulting in nothing less than a philosophy of the novel, which has won critical acclaim nationwide, from the San Francisco Chronicle to the New York Times Book Review.
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Educational!
- By Don on 05-04-09
By: James Wood
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The Glamour of Grammar
- By: Roy Peter Clark
- Narrated by: Roy Peter Clark
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Early in the history of English, glamour and grammar were the same word, linked to enchantment and magical spells. Now grammar brings to mind language bullies and bored-out-of-their-skulls students. Roy Peter Clark, one of America’s most influential writing teachers, wants to change that by putting the glamour back into grammar.
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Wasteful
- By ABID on 12-05-13
By: Roy Peter Clark
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Bookworm
- A Memoir of Childhood Reading
- By: Lucy Mangan
- Narrated by: Lucy Mangan
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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When Lucy Mangan was little, stories were everything. They opened up new worlds and cast light on all the complexities she encountered in this one. She was whisked away to Narnia and Kirrin Island and Wonderland. She ventured down rabbit holes and womble burrows into midnight gardens and chocolate factories. She wandered the countryside with Milly-Molly-Mandy and played by the tracks with the Railway Children.
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The author’s sarcasm
- By Phil B. on 10-01-24
By: Lucy Mangan
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Loveable
- Embracing What Is Truest About You, So You Can Truly Embrace Your Life
- By: Kelly Flanagan
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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It's time to remember. Dr. Kelly Flanagan is known to millions for the letters he writes to his children and shares on his blog. Loveable is written to the little one in each of us, who is all too ready to be reminded: You are enough, you are not alone, and you matter. In Loveable, Dr. Flanagan reveals the core insight gleaned from his years of clinical work - you are here for a reason, yet you cannot truly awaken to it until you have first embraced your truest, worthiest self and then allow yourself to be truly embraced by others.
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Rediscover YOU!
- By Hmm on 03-25-17
By: Kelly Flanagan
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American Philosophy
- A Love Story
- By: John Kaag
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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In American Philosophy, John Kaag - a disillusioned philosopher at sea in his marriage and career - stumbles upon a treasure trove of rare books on an old estate in the hinterlands of New Hampshire that once belonged to the Harvard philosopher William Ernest Hocking. The library includes notes from Whitman, inscriptions from Frost, and first editions of Hobbes, Descartes, and Kant. As he begins to catalog and preserve these priceless books, Kaag rediscovers the very tenets of American philosophy.
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Awesome Book! But..
- By Kye Sonne on 04-02-17
By: John Kaag
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The Memoir Project
- A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text For Writing & Life
- By: Marion Roach Smith
- Narrated by: Marion Roach Smith
- Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Whether or not one has lived an exceptional or dramatic life, we inherently understand that writing memoir—whether it’s a book, blog, or just a letter to a child - is the single greatest portal to self-examination. Stop treading water in writing exercises or hiding behind “writer’s block” and learn how to write with intent. Marion Roach Smith’s disarmingly frank but wildly fun tactics offer you simple and effective guidelines that work. Your legacy beings now.
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amazing what you can learn from brevity
- By Schwartz-Burrill on 09-15-11
What listeners say about Letters to a Young Writer
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Susan G
- 11-06-23
I am not a writer
I am not a writer, but I am a lover of great literature. When I read beautiful books that move me, I can never help thinking about how the writer developed the novel, what the process was, and how it came to be. Colum McCann is one of my favorite authors and his letters to young authors was a beautiful insight to me. I loved every word.
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- Timothy Hart
- 05-02-17
Cutting
A well of crisp and sharp advice conveyed with perfectly ordered words.
Mr. McCann is also one of the few writers who can perfectly narrate his own works. I'll assume that if you are an audiobook listener and care about what he has to say on writing (Is that a contradiction?) you have already listened to his works. But if not, you must get Thirteen Ways of Looking.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Stacy Hoyt
- 05-16-17
Inspiring essays for ink slingers.
Read by the author, this is a wonderful inspiring collection of essays. A daunting double-dog-dare to the would-be writer. His words gentle and encouraging despite acknowledging the sometimes heartbreaking nature of the creative life. He covers a range of topics some more pertinent to me than others, but I believe there is something here for everyone.
Part of the charm of this particular work is that the author is the narrator. And he has a lovely accent. Something about his manner of speaking enhances his message (a la Neil Gaiman) or perhaps it's just sexy.
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- Reed Ramlow
- 01-11-21
Inspiring must read for any aspiring writer
Inspirational for any writer, young or old (as in my case), who is a novice. Great narration by the author himself on audio.
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- W
- 08-19-17
Truth and rage
so generously shared.
("11 words remaining" demanded, unsaid, unnecessary, unwanted but nevertheless required in order to say - "truth and glorious honesty so generously shared.) WM
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- Bridget
- 09-07-22
Short interesting just contains a lot to inspire
I love this great story teller whether it’s a character in in One of his novels or motivating us to put the pen in our hand and get to work he is Real. Thank you loved the book and the author narrating.
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- eclectic reader
- 05-23-17
Enjoyable comments on being a writer
The author offers some very personal insights about what it means to be a writer. Some are simply good advice about what it takes to be a good person. From time to time i toy with doing a little writing but can't truly call myself a writer. I found this book inspired me.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Brandon Sholund
- 08-01-18
Many topics on many subjects for many writers
This is a book for writers of all levels. In a series of 55 letters Colum McCann covers both the craft and the industry of writing. Topics such as grammer, agents, use of language, characters and plots are covered with a peppering of motivational insiration. Most of these topics have been covered elsewhere and in more depth, but McCann is a writer and it shows. The letters that form the book are both insightful and entertaining. I wrote more as a hobby than a passion but I found a lot in this book to use. It is equal to Stephen Kings excellent book 'On writing' although the book is more scholarly. The narration comes off more like a series of lectures than a memoir and is focused on the craft. McCann rarely references his own work but still manages to prove deeply into the subject. An excellent book on writing that will be useful to writers for years to come.
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- Iris Pereyra
- 04-19-17
A Powerful and Moving Manifesto for Young Writers
These fifty-two essays are short in length but full on passion and even if you are not are a writer or plan on becoming one, McCann's zeal for his craft is so contagious that if you are anything like me, you would find yourself inspired by how beautifully and intimately he describes it.
Aspiring young writers will also find quite a bit of advice. This ranges from the purely utilitarian and practical ("Write wherever you feel comfortable","Read Aloud,"Carry a notebook), to the more essential ("To MFA or Not to MFA", "Language and Plot", "How to get an agent"). Still, the author's goal seems to be to sustain his readers aspirations and inspirations, rather than to provide a laundry list on how to become a successful writer.
Although I am obviously not part of the book's intended audience, I still found quite a few helpful philosophical nuggets and practical advice: There are moments when you just have to rely on your instincts; In life, just like in writing, there are no manuals and sometimes rules have to be broken and last but certainly not least, don't be a dick!
As for the author's audio narration, what can I say? There's something about the expression "Just keep your arse on the chair" that sounds much better with an Irish accent. Pure perfection.
A moving, inspiring and powerful manifesto. Highly Recommended.
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- EP
- 06-23-18
Incredible!
Along with great writing advice, this book is therapy for the writer's soul. I absolutely loved it.
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