excellent

I have been greatly enjoying reading this book as my bathtub book for the first 2/3 of July. Long on my shelves, I pulled it out in response to the July Nonfiction Challenge: Creators and Creativity. And it fit the billing perfectly. This is a collection of Le Guin's talks, essays and reviews from 1976 to 1988. I only have half a dozen tags sticking out of the pages, but I could have had 4 times that number. The leisurely pace of reading an article a day left space for taking the time to let the ideas emerge and submerge themselves in my consciousness as she talks about writing, women and women's experience of writing and how it may differ from men's, and some perfectly lovely travelogue diary excerpts where one wants to roll oneself in the luxuriousness of the written language. She is sharp, acerbic, wise, deep, tolerant, critical, and creative. I immediately went to Amazon to buy her latest nonfiction collection, [Words Are My Matter: Writings About Life and Books, 2000-2016, with a Journal of a Writer’s Week], skipping over the two collections in between (for the time being, at least) as I want to see what she is thinking about NOW after reading her thoughts of 30 years ago. ( )

This is such intelligent, engrossing writing. I made my husband listen to me read several of the essays outloud so that I could discuss them with him. If you are a woman, or know one, do yourself a favor and read this. You might not agree with what she says, but she makes coherent, passionate arguments that are worth your time. ( )

From the back:

"From modern literature to menopause, from utopian thought to rodeos--in this classic collection of essays, Ursula K. Le Guin roves with her customary audacity over the intersecting arenas of literature, feminism, and social responsibility, exploding any received notions she comes across and revealing visionary possibilities in their stead. Le Guin is an authentic wise woman, remembering, performing and passing on the ancient ceremony of celebration, dancing "the dance of renewal, the dance that made the world"--and in this collection, she does so with a wit and eloquence that make for exhilarating reading."

My review:

Ursula K. Le Guin is one of my all-time favorite authors. I've read nearly everything she's written--science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, non-fiction. She is a brilliant writer and this collection of essays does not disappoint. I did an extensive interview with Ms. Le Guin a few years ago. The entire transcript is available at my website: www.faithljustice.com. ( )

I’ve actually recommended this book many times to people of all reading backgrounds. If you’re a woman, especially with any kind of feminist bent, you should read this book. If you’re a writer, you should read this book. If you’re both, what the hell are you waiting for? Le Guin is a must, especially for those of us struggling to define ourselves in male-dominated genres. And as mentioned behind the cut, Le Guin is passionate about diversity, so if you’re a writer who’s passionate about that, don’t discount her simply because she’s a white female. Le Guin has been noted to be one of the first writers to appeal to readers of all colors. Thank her anthropologist parents for that.

But I don’t want to limit my recommendation to just writers. Nor do I want to limit my recommendation to only readers of the science fiction/fantasy genres. Le Guin is well-educated, and it shows. She talks Woolf; she talks Stein. Her observations of the world around her will make any one paying any attention sit up and take notice. Le Guin writes with a gentle cadence and humor, and her sarcasm is as subtle as it is sharp. It takes a moment for it to sink in, and it makes you go back and think.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it over and over again: Le Guin makes you think. Even if you don’t agree with her, she’ll make you think.

For a full review, please click here: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.com/26710.html ( )