Great writers are great readers.As Susan Sontag said, “Reading usually precedes writing and the impulse to write is almost always fired by reading. Reading, the love of reading, is what makes you dream of becoming a writer.” Here are our recommendations of a few essential classics—some are about the craft of writing while others exhibit great writing. Each will help you gain the power to arrest readers with your words. If you have a favorite book about writing or a treasured volume, e-mail us with your suggestions for The Writer’s Shelf.
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William Zinsser:
On Writing Well
The nonfiction writer’s Bible. Zinsser is worth worshipping—his book provides the tools for writing well, and he leads by example.
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Gay Talese:
A Writer's Life
To be a writer, you must live a writer’s life. The nonfiction master’s life will inspire you to do just that.
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Truman Capote:
In Cold Blood
Capote transformed the importance of the nonfiction genre. Read with a discerning eye and understand the craft of telling real stories.
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George Orwell:
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Once upon a time, this seemed like a nightmare. Read it today—and it’s a wake up call!
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Charles Bukowski:
Sifting Through the
Madness for the Word,
the Line, the Way
So you want to be a writer?
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Robert S. Boynton:
The New New
Journalism
The best writers today are working in nonfiction. Don’t believe it? This book will change your mind.
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Hunter S. Thompson:
Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas
The original “gonzo” journalist, Thompson called it as he saw it. Raw, uncompromising, even brutal, this book is a reminder of the power of individual style.
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Richard Whalen:
Shakespeare--
Who Was He?
A model of explanatory journalism and persuasive writing, Whalen’s work convincingly details why one unknown writer—the real Shakespeare—deserves a hefty dose of long-overdue credit.
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Lester Bangs:
Psychotic Reactions
and Carburetor Dung
Lester Bangs was the first—and best—serious critic of Rock N’ Roll, translating its searing guitar licks and pounding backbeat into an inimitable prose. This book collects his best.
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Gay Talese:
The Gay Talese
Reader
Gay Talese is the Dean of non-fiction writers. This selection of his work re-affirms his place in the pantheon of great writers.
Anne Lamott:
Bird by Bird
A [writing] book about [the writing] life. Charming, disarming.
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William Strunk
and E.B. White:
The Elements of Style
Strunk and White taught a generation of writers how to write. Now it’s your turn.
Sarah Jane Sloan:
The I Ching for Writers
An age-old method of seeking advice and wisdom, a natural remedy for writers in need of ideas and inspiration.
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Writer's Market
(annual)
Answers the burning question in every writer’s mind: Who’s buying?
Amiri Baraka:
The LeRoi Jones/
Amiri Baraka Reader
Newark’s Amiri Baraka is not for everyone. He’s radical, caustic, and defiant. And an amazing prose stylist.
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