"Making a Literary Life," by Carolyn See

Upon my recently experiencing a disappointment regarding a piece I had written, my wonderful friend S. sent me a copy of a chapter titled "Make Rejection a Process," from the book "Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers" (Random House, 2002), by Carolyn See. The chapter was smart, funny, and "bracing," a word See likes, and it made me feel better. (Of course rejection is part of the life of any writer, whether of fiction or scholarship or any other type of writing; it comes with the territory.) After reading this chapter, I decided to check out the whole book, and enjoyed reading it. Although it is intended mainly for aspiring fiction writers, rather than academic writers, and although I have been writing and publishing (in modest quantities) for many years, I still found it useful, entertaining, and even inspiring. See, who has published numerous books (mostly fiction), and whose novel "Golden Days" I remember reading some years ago, has a distinctive voice and is generous in sharing her experiences as well as advice. The book is a mixture of practical advice and cheerleading; it is down to earth but also encouraging. As a side note, Carolyn See is the mother of the bestselling author Lisa See, whom she mentions with pride.