Supa on Books!

"If you want to work on your art, work on your life." ~ Chekhov

What's happening, Blogger Fam?? Hope all is well in your worlds! Yep, Supa is still in hibernation mode, nursing her foot, and taking some time to work on her art and work on her life. (how great is that quote!)

Meanwhile, wanted to share some of the craft/creativity books Supa has been absorbing - some of them new, some of them not, all of them relevant.. First is this one:


The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron

I'd heard about this book for years in creative circles, then Supa received it as a gift awhile back. It's turning out to be an invaluable creative tool. Not just for writers, but for all artists - painters, photographers, dancers, etc.

The Artists's Way links creativity to spirituality by showing how to tap into the higher power that connects human creativity with the creative energies of the universe, and guides you through a variety of highly effective exercises and activities that spur imagination and capture new ideas.


Next one is: Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life by Gregg Levoy

My girl Jude from the Writing Crew posted a few excerpts of this book on her blog last week, and I knew I had to pick it up. This is one of those books people say "changed their life."

In Callings, Levoy guides readers to ask and answer fundamental questions that arise from any calling: How do we recognize it? How do we distinguish the true call from the siren song? How do we handle our resistance to a call? What happens when we say yes? What happens when we say no?





Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Ladies: Go get this book. First time I read this, I was astounded. Now, as I re-read, I believe it to be a necessary guidebook for every woman who wishes to reclaim and retain the knowledge and power contained within the feminine soul.

Through the stories and commentaries in this remarkable book, we retrieve, examine, love, and understand the Wild Woman, and hold her against our deep psyches as one who is both magic and medicine...Estes has created a new lexicon for describing the female psyche.


Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

According to Wikipedia, Rilke is generally considered the most significant German poet of the 20th century. I was introduced to his work via another writer, and the prose is so beautifully haunting and inspiring, I find myself flipping through this book at least once a week. A must read for every writer.

One of my favorite quotes: "Then, as if no one had ever tried before, try to say what you see and feel and love and lose."


Guerrilla Marketing for Writers: 100 Weapons for Selling Your Work

Uhh, pretty self-explanatory. This book is an essential guide for promoting and marketing your work!







Finally, one of Supa's all time favorites: Wild Women Don't Wear No Blues: Black Women Writers on Love, Men, and Sex (anthology) edited by Marita Golden

Sonia Sanchez, Ntozake Shange, Judy Dothard Simmons, Bebe Moore Cambell and others provide their answers to the quetion: What happens when you ask a Black Woman to think, not in passing, but long and hard - about love, men, and sex? At first, there is silence. Not because there is nothing to say, but because there is too much, never asked, never sought or listened to.

Topics range from domestic violence to phone sex to personal discovery to the black lesbian community - a phenomenal read all around.


Anyone read any of these titles? Feedback!

Enjoy!!

Reminder: Spike Lee's Katrina documentary on HBO tonight. All 4 requiems are being shown in honor of the one year anniversary.