8.13.2006
Writing to Change the World by Mary Pipher
I've read a lot of books on writing, and most of them are pretty good. Some, like Stephen King's On Writing, are a cut above the rest. Mary Pipher's book Writing to Change the World is one of these.
My first introduction to Mary Pipher was her book Reviving Ophelia, which I reviewed in March. In addition to that title-- which discusses how to help teenaged girls face the adjustments of life without losing their souls-- Pipher, who has advanced degrees in Psychology and Anthropology, has also written books on helping refugees enter the American society, dealing with the emotional struggles of the elderly, understanding the allure of thinness, and recapturing the value of family life. In short, Pipher is a case-study of "writing to change the world."
She delivers what she promises in Writing to Change the World. While some of the elements of the book will be familiar to those who have read other books on writing, Pipher takes these topics in the "change the world" direction, to good effect.
For example, in the section entitled "The Writing Process" Pipher discusses point of view, just as many others do. But Pipher goes further, covering the nuances of point of view from the perspective of what will effectively change others' views as well. When it comes to pronouns, for example, Pipher explains how "we" will carry change farther than "you"-- but she also talks through the danger of including yourself through "we".
Pipher also includes a handful of other sections that are new, and that focus on becoming an agent of change through writing. The first section, "What We Alone Can Say," is a group of chapters that uncover what each writer has the potential to effect change about-- and how to begin writing in that direction. And the last section, "Calls to Action," discusses many of the venues that writers have-- including letters, speeches, essays, blogs, music, and poetry-- and how they may be used to advance change.
In many ways, Writing to Change the World is not like other books on writing. Books like Zinnser's On Writing Well and Gerard's Creative Non-Fiction are foundational books on the craft of writing; Pipher's Writing to Change the World is a complement to these, a successor to them, that focuses on a purpose (or, perhaps, THE purpose) of writing.
My first introduction to Mary Pipher was her book Reviving Ophelia, which I reviewed in March. In addition to that title-- which discusses how to help teenaged girls face the adjustments of life without losing their souls-- Pipher, who has advanced degrees in Psychology and Anthropology, has also written books on helping refugees enter the American society, dealing with the emotional struggles of the elderly, understanding the allure of thinness, and recapturing the value of family life. In short, Pipher is a case-study of "writing to change the world."
She delivers what she promises in Writing to Change the World. While some of the elements of the book will be familiar to those who have read other books on writing, Pipher takes these topics in the "change the world" direction, to good effect.
For example, in the section entitled "The Writing Process" Pipher discusses point of view, just as many others do. But Pipher goes further, covering the nuances of point of view from the perspective of what will effectively change others' views as well. When it comes to pronouns, for example, Pipher explains how "we" will carry change farther than "you"-- but she also talks through the danger of including yourself through "we".
Pipher also includes a handful of other sections that are new, and that focus on becoming an agent of change through writing. The first section, "What We Alone Can Say," is a group of chapters that uncover what each writer has the potential to effect change about-- and how to begin writing in that direction. And the last section, "Calls to Action," discusses many of the venues that writers have-- including letters, speeches, essays, blogs, music, and poetry-- and how they may be used to advance change.
In many ways, Writing to Change the World is not like other books on writing. Books like Zinnser's On Writing Well and Gerard's Creative Non-Fiction are foundational books on the craft of writing; Pipher's Writing to Change the World is a complement to these, a successor to them, that focuses on a purpose (or, perhaps, THE purpose) of writing.
