The Forest, the Trees, and Other Foliage

I was just reading over a book I read about one year ago. It's called, The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers, by Betsy Lerner. I have read quite a few writing books and this one is at the very top. Books by William Zinsser, Ralph Keyes, Dani Shapiro, Constance Hale, and Arthur Plotnik come to mind. There is much practical material and wisdom in these writers' books. But I find Lerner is able to speak to the group of writers out there who are drenched in doubt, who want to write but feel almost powerless to follow through on the desire, and those who obsess over writing (that is, they spend 90 percent of their time obsessing, and little time actually doing the deed of writing).

And the book is written so damn well, it is something to behold. Indeed, as the line goes, it "flows" so beautifully. To me, it seems like an MFA degree in writing, all within the compass of 300 pages.

I'm surprised the book is not talked about more. Who knows, even Mr. Hemingway might have liked it.

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