Anne Lamott

A couple weeks ago I had the oppotunity to hear Anne Lamott speak here in Portland. I have not been familiar with her work, had heard of her but never read her. My friend Pam let me know she would be speaking and suggested that I come hear her.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed her humor and wit. On the spot, I bought both "Travelling Mercies" and "Plan B" and I have loved them both. I think I got through Travelling Mercies in two days, they are easy and entertaining reads.

I have to say she is a total kick, and her attitude and perspective of faith is so real. Her life has been much like many of our lives, she's just not afraid to admit it. She has suffered excruciating loss, substance abuse and single-motherhood, and somehow found God in all of it.

The one thing I will say is that her life has not been a bed of roses and her use of colorful vocabulary doesn't always meet "religious" standards...but I don't think she cares, and that's what I love about her...she's not about pleasing the conservative right-wing of Christianity or Politics. She has been brutally honest about her life and her struggles, and she has encouarged me with her ability to find joy and peace in the most interesting/unexpected places.

From Barclay Agency:

"Anne Lamott writes and speaks about subjects that begin with capital letters: Alcoholism, Motherhood, Jesus. But armed with self-effacing humor – she is laugh out-loud funny – and ruthless honesty, Lamott converts her subjects into enchantment. Actually, she writes about what most of us don’t like to think about. She wrote her first novel for her father, the writer Kenneth Lamott, when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. She has said that the book was “a present to someone I loved who was going to die.” In all her novels, Anne Lamott writes about loss – loss of loved ones and loss of personal control. She doesn’t try to sugar-coat the sadness, frustration and disappointment, but tells her stories with honesty, compassion and a pureness of voice. Anne Lamott says, “I have a lot of hope and a lot of faith and I struggle to communicate that.” Anne Lamott does communicate her faith; in her books and in person, she lifts, comforts, and inspires, all the while keeping us laughing."

If you are looking for a fun read (I use the term "fun" loosely...for her life experiences have certainly not all been "fun", but the overall sense I get when reading her is "fun", because her sense of humor is so realistic and her outlook on life is so amazing that it causes me to feel encouraged) check her out.

You can find links to her books at the Barclay Agency link I provided earlier. She has also written extensively at Salon.com.

I have been unable to find a site for her that is better than her page at Barclay. If anyone knows of another site for her, let me know and I'll update this post with the link.