Overview

"Finalist for Story Circle's 2021 Award for Memoir and recipient of a Readers' Favorite Five-Star Review ""Great for fans of Vivian Gornick's Fierce Attachments and Rebecca Solnit's Recollections of My Nonexistence."" -BookLife ""An inherently fascinating memoir, deftly crafted, impressively informative, thoughtful, thought-provoking, truly memorable, and especially recommended reading for any and all aspiring writers."" -Midwest Book Review In Word for Word, accomplished author Laurie Lisle shares her hard-earned wisdom about the writing life. A perfect book for aspiring and seasoned writers, as well as fans of Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. Raised in a traditional 1950s New England family, Laurie Lisle rejected the boundaries of her upbringing and followed her drive to write. Coming of age during the women's liberation movement, she joined Newsweek shortly after it was sued for sexism, hoping to find new opportunities for women writers, but she had to fight for every step forward. Word for Word is the dramatic story of Lisle's determination to become a published author, from her early days in journalism to writing her groundbreaking biographies of legendary artists Georgia O'Keeffe and Louise Nevelson. Lisle discusses the demands of writing honestly about others and herself while unflinchingly sharing successes, stumbling blocks, and relationships that threatened to silence her written voice. In this frank memoir, Lisle asks what a writer-or anyone devoted to self-expression in the arts-needs to flourish and find fulfillment in work and life. She shares insights from artists and other authors and reflects on the way nature nurtures a literary life. Throughout, she examines how the private and professional parts of a writer's life intertwine, explores what enables words to flow and what stops them, and shows where the writing life can ultimately lead."

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9781735980119

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Reviews

Laurie Lisle courageously dramatizes her struggles to become a writer and to find a loving relationship that nourishes her and her talent. Her beautifully written memoir will inspire writers and women everywhere to find their voices. -Lynn Povich, author of The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplace Word for Word is a perfect title for a memoir about the hard-earned creation of a writer's life that is wrested out of the honest self-examination of a woman who faces the personal, family, class, and social forces that shaped-but did not determine-the person and writer she would become. A richly rewarding read. -Lois Palken Rudnick, author of Mabel Dodge Luhan: New Woman, New Worlds With Word for Word, Laurie Lisle enters the pantheon of great memoirists . . . Bolstered by exquisite, evocative observations of the physical world that inform her prose, past and present, she threads a fine line between revelation and reticence, generously exposing her most intimate feelings about the conflicts and sacrifices inherent in the need for both love and freedom, as a woman and a writer. If ever there is a book that will trigger a desire to pen one's own memoir, this is it. -Marnie Mueller, author of My Mother's Island In fluid, evocative prose that is at once personal and political, Laurie Lisle turns her biographer's eye on her own life with a clear-eyed, honest gaze that probes, delights, and illuminates. -Jennifer Browdy, author of The Elemental Journey of Purposeful Memoir: A Writer's Companion Word for Word is a beautifully told story about the growth of a woman writer...whose intellectual and spiritual debts are to women writers, feminism, and, more generally, strong women. -Carol Ascher, author of Afterimages: A Family Memoir A compelling account from Laurie Lisle, who rejected her New England debutante destiny, survived systemic bias against women in the journalism world, and willed herself to become a writer . . . Lisle's courage, independence, and determination will inspire other women. -Gail Levin, author of Lee Krasner: A Biography [Word for Word] pulses with intellectual discussions, lived feminist history and its resultant tensions, and the fascinating literary milieu Laurie Lisle encounters at writing retreats . . . This unconventional memoir details one accomplished woman writer's dedication to developing her voice. It's great for fans of Vivian Gornick's Fierce Attachments and Rebecca Solnit's Recollections of My Nonexistence. -BookLife Word for Word moves from the anxiety of day-to-day struggles to the peace of the serene gaze of memory. The book ends in the author's garden and in her memory of her mother, where the sharp ego-involved edges of family, career, and marriage conflicts she has led us through diffuse into a tranquil place of belonging and forgiveness. -Thomas E. Hill, art librarian, Vassar College At the heart of this searching memoir is the author's struggle to establish a writing career while trying to find happiness with the right man. Her accounts of researching the first biography of Georgia O'Keeffe and discovering the delights of the natural world are intertwined with the truths she learns about love, work, and self-reliance. -Cathy Curtis, author of A Generous Vision: The Creative Life of Elaine de Kooning

Author Information

"Laurie Lisle has been a professional writer and published author for most of her adult life. Prior to publishing ""Portrait of an Artist,"" her bestselling biography of Georgia O'Keeffe, Lisle worked in journalism for newspapers and magazines. Her other books include ""Louise Nevelson: A Passionate Life"" and titles about women without children, gardening, and educating girls. Her work has been described as ""an act of courage"" and ""elegantly written yet also edgily realistic."" Lisle lives in Sharon, Connecticut, with her husband, artist Robert Kipniss, and when she isn't writing enjoys working in her garden. For more information, see www.laurielisle.com."

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