Anne Lamott
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Anne Lamott (born 10 April 1954, in San Francisco) is a progressive political activist and author of several novels and works of non-fiction. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, her non-fiction works are largely autobiographical, with strong doses of self-deprecating humor. Marked by their transparency, Lamott's writings covered such subjects as alcoholism, single motherhood, and Christianity.[1]
Lamott has explained: "I try to write the books I would love to come upon, that are honest, concerned with real lives, human hearts, spiritual transformation, families, secrets, wonder, craziness — and that can make me laugh. When I am reading a book like this, I feel rich and profoundly relieved to be in the presence of someone who will share the truth with me, and throw the lights on a little, and I try to write these kinds of books. Books, for me, are medicine."[2]
Lamott is a graduate of Drew School in San Francisco, California. Her father, Kenneth Lamott, was also a writer and was the basis of her first novel Hard Laughter.
Lamott's life is documented in Freida Lee Mock's 1999 documentary Bird by Bird with Annie: A Film Portrait of Writer Anne Lamott.[3]
Lamott is cited as a writer who captures well the style of narrative nonfiction called "particularism", coined by Howard Freeman.
Contents |
[edit] Novels
- Lamott, Anne (1980). Hard Laughter. Viking Press. ISBN 0670361402.
- Lamott, Anne (1983). Rosie. Viking Press. ISBN 0670608289.
- Lamott, Anne (1985). Joe Jones. North Point Press. ISBN 0865472092.
- Lamott, Anne (1989). All New People. North Point Press. ISBN 0865473943.
- Lamott, Anne (1997). Crooked Little Heart. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0679435212.
- Lamott, Anne (2002). Blue Shoe. Riverhead Books. ISBN 1573222267.
[edit] Non-fiction
- Lamott, Anne (1993). Operating Instructions: A Journal Of My Son’s First Year. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0679420916.
- Lamott, Anne (1994). Bird by Bird : Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0679435204.
- Lamott, Anne (1999). Traveling Mercies : Some Thoughts on Faith. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0679442405.
- Lamott, Anne (2005). Plan B : Further Thoughts on Faith. Riverhead Books. ISBN 1573222992.
- Lamott, Anne (2007). Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith. Riverhead Books. ISBN 1594489424.
[edit] Quotes
- "Laughter is carbonated holiness." (Plan B)
- "When you're conscious and writing from a place of insight and simplicity and real caring about the truth, you have the ability to throw the lights on for your reader." (Bird by Bird)
- "You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." (Traveling Mercies; although on page 22 of Bird by Bird she attributes this quote to "my priest friend Tom")
[edit] References
- ^ Lamott, Anne. "My son, the stranger". Salon. http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/05/22/lamott_fight_son/. Retrieved on 2008-03-08.
- ^ "Quote of the Day". Religion Blog. Dallas Morning News. 2008-02-10. http://religion.beloblog.com/archives/2008/02/quote_of_the_day_60.html.
- ^ Freida Lee Mock (Director). (1999-08-01). Bird by Bird with Annie. [Documentary]. Vanguard International Cinema. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202259/.
[edit] External links
- Salon.com: articles by Anne Lamott
- Lecturing Steven Barclay Agency
- Write TV Public Television Interview with Anne Lamott
- Tavis Smiley interview with Anne Lamott, March 28, 2007
- Minnesota Public Radio Interview April 11, 2007
| Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Anne Lamott |

