How the Light Gets In

Erscheinungsjahr 2017
ISBN: 978-0-19-993396-9
Verlag: ACADEMIC

Buch, Englisch, 320 Seiten, Format (B × H): 145 mm x 222 mm, Gewicht: 531 g

Many writing instructors teach writing through autobiography. By considering the lives of others and then contemplating their own lives, aspiring writers discover a wellspring of material that can be used in their prose. While not explicitly for courses, this book follows a similar pedagogical line, focusing specifically on the philosophical and spiritual questions that every person faces in the course of meeting life's challenges. How the Light Gets In encourages readers to contemplate their lives through spiritual observation and exploratory writing. It guides readers through the process in 17 concise thematic chapters that include meditations on fear, freedom, silence, secrets, joy, prayer, tradition, forgiveness, service, social justice, aging, and death. Short poems by Schneider begin each chapter.

Schneider's book is distinct from the many other books in the popular spirituality and creative writing genre by virtue of its approach, using one's lived experience, including the experience of writing, as a springboard for writing about beliefs and faith. As her many followers would attest, Schneider writes with particular clarity and immediacy about the writing process. Her belief that writing about one's life leads to greater consciousness, satisfaction, and wisdom energizes the book and carries the reader gracefully difficult topics.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Schneider

Schneider, Pat

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Schreiben und Publizieren, Kreatives Schreiben

Inhaltsverzeichnis

- TABLE OF CONTENTS

- PREFACE

- INTRODUCTION

- POEM: SOMETIMES WRITING

- I. THERE IS A SPIRIT

- POEM: TO BREAK SILENCE

- II. PRAYER

- POEM: ABOUT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, GOD

- III. RANSOM

- POEM: INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

- IV. FEAR

- POEM: THIS IS A RIVER

- V. DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL

- POEM: PERSONAL ADDRESS

- VI. TRADITION: RELIGION

- POEM: YOUR BOAT, YOUR WORDS

- VII. TRADITION: WRITING

- POEM: BRAIDED RUG

- VIII. FORGIVING

- POEM: PENN STATION, NEW YORK CITY

- IX. RECEIVING FORGIVENESS

- PLAY EXCERPT: THE UNDERTAKING

- X. DOING GOOD

- POEM: TWO THOUSAND DEATHS

- XI. CHANGING THE WORLD

- POEM: THIS FLIGHT

- XII. THE BODY

- XIII. DEATH

- JOURNAL ENTRY: BURNING THE TOBACCO

- XIV. STRANGENESS

- POEM: THE FISH

- XV. BELOVED COMMUNITY

- POEM: THAT ONE

- XVI. FREEDOM

- POEM: CONFESSION

- XVII. JOY

- POEM: BLESSING FOR A WRITER

- NOTES FOR TEACHERS, WORKSHOP OR RETREAT LEADERS AND COUNSELORS

- INDEX

Über Autor(innen)

Pat Schneider is founder/director emerita of Amherst Writers and Artists (AWA) who has personally trained or participated in training of more than 1,000 across the English-speaking world. She is also a celebrated poet. She is the author of nine books including Writing Alone and with Others (OUP, 2003) which has net sales of 21,529 (cloth: 685; paper: 20,844).