Saturday, December 13, 2014

THE POWER TO FORGIVE - review of the new #AnneLamott book




THE POWER TO FORGIVE - review of the new Anne Lamott book - Greenbelt speaker 2014

Thank goodness for Anne Lamott. 
Her writing style, both unfussy and diaphanous, 
her congeniality, loopy humor and dogged optimism are balms. 
Her latest book, Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace is a gem. 
In addition to hope, she also brings anger, even rage, and uses it like a finely honed weapon. 
Because of her rage—at ridiculous men found on match.com, 
at politicians both heartless and gormless, at perfect, 
stay-at-home moms who wear size 0 and 
run around in biker shorts, at her rather grotesque mother, 
long-dead father and the state of the world in general—
much of the book also focuses on forgiveness. 
Forgiveness may be a useful thing, she says, 
but people often need to be dragged to it kicking and screaming. 
According to Lamott, forgiveness probably needs one of those improbable moments of grace 
to happen at all. 
Surely, when it comes to questions of faith, 
Lamott is to essay writing what Marilynne Robinson is to fiction. 
Awesome.



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