Letters to a Young Writer: Some Practical and Philosophical Advice

<b>From the bestselling author of the National Book Award winner <i>Let the Great World Spin </i>comes<i> </i>a lesson in how to be a writer - and so much more than that.</b><br><br> Intriguing and inspirational, this book is a call to look outward rather than inward. McCann asks his readers to constantly push the boundaries of experience, to see empathy and wonder in the stories we craft and hear.<br><br> A paean to the power of language, both by argument and by example, <i>Letters to a Young Writer</i> is fierce and honest in its testament to the bruises delivered by writing as both a profession and a calling. It charges aspiring writers to learn the rules and even break them.<br><br> These fifty-two essays are ultimately a profound challenge to a new generation to bring truth and light to a dark world through their art.<br><br> <b>Praise for the fiction of Colum McCann</b><br><br> <b><i>Let the Great World Spin</i></b><br> <b>Winner of the National Book Award</b><br><br> &quot;One of the most electric, profound novels I have read in years.&quot;<b> - Jonathan Mahler, <i>The New York Times Book Review</i></b><br><br> &quot;There's so much passion and humor and pure life force on every page that you'll find yourself giddy, dizzy, overwhelmed.&quot;<b> - Dave Eggers</b><br><br> <b><i>TransAtlantic</i></b><br> <b>Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award</b><br><br> &quot;Reminiscent of the finest work of Michael Ondaatje and Michael Cunningham.&quot;<b> - <i>O: The Oprah Magazine</i></b><br><br> &quot;Another sweeping, beautifully constructed tapestry of life . . . Reading McCann is a rare joy.&quot;<b> - <i>The Seattle Times</i></b><br><br> <b>Thirteen Ways of Looking</b><br> <b>A <i>New York Times</i> Notable Book of the Year</b><br><br> &quot;The irreducible mystery of human experience ties this small collection together, and in each of these stories McCann explores that theme in strikingly effective ways.&quot;<b> - <i>The Washington Post</i></b><br><br> &quot;Extraordinary . . . incandescent.&quot;<b><i> - Chicago Tribune</i></b>