Love to read?
The Lyon Review believes in the power of literature to transform, arouse and entertain. Click on the subsequent pages to see some of our Editorial Board’s favorite books organized by literary form. Many authors we recommend have earned international acclaim or been winners of major literary awards, while others may be mid-list writers with whom you are less familiar. But regardless of their publishing history, we have selected writers of exemplary skill, talent and insight. Featured books written by alumnae or MHC faculty are so designated, and we encourage you to show your support. Because The Lyon Review highlights contemporary writing, we have only included books published in the last 50 years. We hope you will discover some new gems and revisit old favorites. We encourage you to use Talk Back to make recommendations of your own.
Below is a list of books and websites by writers talking about the writing process itself. All the books listed here and on the subsequent pages are available either from your local library or can be purchased through The Odyssey Bookshop or your other favorite independent bookseller.
Writers on Writing
Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing by Margaret Atwood
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
Writers Dreaming by Naomi Epel
On Writers & Writing by John Gardner
Falling Through Space: The Journals of Ellen Gilchrist by Ellen Gilchrist
Monster in a Box by Spaulding Gray
Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See
The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan
Anything We Love Can Be Saved by Alice Walker
One Writer’s Beginnings by Eudora Welty
Writers on Writing: Collected Essays from The New York Times