The following five writers have always made me feel less-than as a writer. I am in awe of the ideas, stories and flowing sentences contained within their books. These are the writers that make me bubble up jealousy and writerly discontent, yet force me to put their books down and write down my own thoughts, stories and attempts at imitation. And while I rarely ever feel like I have written something great, I feel a little greater after having read their works.

Welcome to my top ten…

10. The Liar’s Club by Mary Karr

I know that much of the success of this book comes from the tale of her tragic childhood and the almost unbelievable behavior of her parents. While I was definitely caught up in the story, I was far more intrigued by Karr’s prose and description of everything that happened around her. Mary Karr is a terrific writer. By the time I finished the Liar’s Club, I had a crush on its author. She presents as smart, funny, insightful, honest, fallible and completely human. When I come across a used copy of the Liar’s Club in a bookstore, I still buy it to pass along to friends I like. After reading this book numerous times, I am still wildly impressed by what has likely made the whole memoir genre worthwhile and to which all other memoirs are compared.

9. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

A few years ago, I had never heard of this Yates guy. Fortunately, an enthusiastic professor introduced me to him during a lecture. Now I have no idea how I did not hear of him sooner. I have read sections of this book over and over and I am consistently amazed by his clarity and depth. I am also blown away by Yates’ decision to open Revolutionary Road in third person plural (or “they” voice) — and he pulls it off. I do not think I have seen anyone else attempt it and make it work so well. As with all of Yates’ writing, I am enamored and inspired even when all the characters in his books are not doing too well. FYI, seeing the movie is not nearly enough. The book is a million times better.

8. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

I imagine that this book hit me in the same way it hit a lot of guys. K&C, much like the next book on my list, is an epic. It spans the lives of two cousins through war, love, mysticism, a Houdini-esque superhero and the world of comic books. This book, for me, was like reading the perfect man’s book. After about fifty pages, I limited my reading to two pages a day. I wrote after most every reading session. Chabon creates a believable world that eventually the Pulitzer people also enjoyed and awarded. I know some women who loved it too.

7. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

I own the first edition of every Salman Rushdie book ever written. Each book has those clear plastic covers wrapped around all the dust jackets to keep my books compulsively pristine. With Midnight’s Children, I also have a couple of extra paperbacks and a beautiful boxed Folio Society version. MC is an epic analogy about India’s independence with brilliant imagery and prose, which is both hilarious and tragic. Salman Rushdie made me want to be a writer.

6. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

The philosophical and often remarkable thoughts of a just king and troubled man. This collection of verses are intense, sobering and all appear to be written from a place of truth with nothing to gain but further insight toward the human condition. Aurelius succeeds. While there are many translations, I have only read the Maxwell Staniforth version.

Next, the final five.

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15.

Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje

When I first read Running in the Family in college, I liked it. However, the ladies from my class gushed at Ondaatje’s prose and poetry with abandon. As I was the only guy in class, I made it my mission to discount Ondaatje’s writing at least a little and whenever possible. A year later, with no phantom reason to be contrary, I was simply blown away by this work. Ondaatje manages hilarity, poignancy, intensity, poetry, truth, memoir and photos in a book that breaks rules and makes me want to be a better writer. I guess I am gushing too.

14.

The World Healing Book Birgitta Jonsdottir, Editor

Don’t bother looking for The World Healing Book, you are never going to find it in any store. It is a collection of poems and a few short essays that had been put together to promote peace after 9/11. It had works by The Dalai Lama, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a number of international talents and me.

When I saw my name in the byline (on page 52) for the first time ever, I went slack jaw and got all misty. It was at that moment I realized I wanted to do nothing more than write. It was also the first time I had physical evidence that I was not as bad of a writer as I thought. I wrote every day for months after The World Healing Book had been published.

The moral of the story, keep submitting your stories.

13.

Mind Games: A Guide to Inner Space by Masters and Houston

This book inspires a series of experiments/exercises that explore the nature and power of doing as an individual within a group. Yeah, not a great explanation. Sorry about that. As described on the back cover, “Mind Games is a how-to book of mental exercises for achieving altered states without the use of drugs or mysticism.” While in my twenties, with a trusted group of friends, this book was life-changing. Not only life-changing by the content of the book but because of the conversations that came up later.

12.

Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary Fifth Edition from 1937

Yes, it is a dictionary. It is an old dictionary with personality before dictionaries stopped wanting to be creative. Here are a couple examples.

“Tahitian: One of the native Polynesians of Tahiti, a people noted for fine physique and intelligence…”

“Serene: …Shining with clear steady light.”

I love this old dictionary.

11.

Erased by Jim Krusoe

Erased is the only book on this list that I have not yet read. I know. I know. I have a good reason. The book’s writer, Jim Krusoe, is the single most important writing teacher I have ever had. Jim’s writing is also excellent.

I felt he deserves a shout out for his ability to discuss story and craft, and inspire better writing. He consistently encourages and finds ways to see a particular writer, and his or her writing, as unique. He wants to help improve the writing without ever making a student (at least this student) wrong while pointing out new ways to explore style and story. I am not alone in this assessment. In Los Angeles, Jim has a well-deserved fan club of past students that still refer to him often. I simply cannot thank him enough. I recommend taking his classes at Santa Monica College.

For a list of Jim’s books visit, http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Krusoe/e/B001JS4V52/ref=sr_tc_img_2_0?qid=1282347987&sr=1-2-ent

And now for the top ten!

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And now counting down from 20…

20.

Chaos and Beyond

by Robert Anton Wilson
This odd collection of essays feels either out of date or far ahead of its time. When I first read this book in the mid-1990s, C&B was groundbreaking. It opened doors to philosophical ideas that still remain ajar in my mind. While written mostly by, one of my personal favorite writers, Wilson, other contributors include: Timothy Leary, Linus Pauling, George Carlin and Barbara Marx Hubbard, among others. After reading this one, all I did was write for a month. I believe Chaos and Beyond is long out of print and a tough find. So, I recommend the Cosmic Trigger series as a fun RAW substitute.

19.

The World’s Religions

by Huston Smith
Whether you are a believer of not, there is no denying religion as a driving force to much of humanity. I would argue, believers or not, it is simply not enough to know something about one religion and almost nothing about others. Smith offers a unique insight into some of the world’s most influential religions in a positive intuitive way. As a reader, I can see his passion in attempting to get at the roots of all of religion and his enthusiasm is infectious. Smith finds the humanity in each and comes away as honest in his assessment and authentic in his explanations.

18.

The Kybalion

by Three Initiates
It would take far too long to discuss and explain who the “Three Initiates” were and the origins of Hermetic philosophy. I have added this book here because I have read it countless times and always find something intriguing in its pages that can be viewed as life affirming or life-changing. When I read it, I was young and open and this tomb from 1912 tapped into a personal well-spring that wanted to believe everything in the world could make sense. At the time, it made me say, “Wow!” I went on to produce a ton of bad, but hopeful, poetry. 100 hundred years later, I still find it relevant.

17.

Writing Down the Bones

by Natalie Goldberg
I think this was the first book I bought about writing, and I loved it. I was in my early twenties and the idea of writing from the heart and creating a writer’s life was new. I wrote story after story and fell in love with many of short essays Goldberg had written. Twenty-something years later, I am not sure the book holds the same water it once did, but for a time it was incredibly inspirational and a useful tool for a newer writer

16.

The Things They Carried

by Tim O’Brien
One of the best examples of truth in fiction. Sure, the book is technically a work of fiction (not fact), but there is no doubt to its authenticity (truth) on every page. After reading a few pages, there is not reason to be concerned about its factual-ness due to its ability to touch the reader with something far more important than simple information or storytelling.

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Now on to the top 25.

25. Pastoralia by George Saunders

I could have swapped out Pastoralia with several other of Saunders’ short story collections and it would have still been all good. Saunders reminds me that there are no limits to ridiculousness and creativity. He is funny, charming, provocative, serious and brings readers in to a world that is familiar yet wholly foreign. Personally, I push the envelop in my personal writing any time I read him.

24. Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer

The guy is a Quacker, so expect God references and a particular religious philosophy throughout. While some basic ideas within Let Your Life Speak are not really my cup of tea, Palmer’s book promotes a natural order of things and how the reader can strive toward a unique, and perhaps destined, “vocation.” He encourages the reader to explore that nature and power of his or her being and that such explorations makes for a more harmonious world. It is only 109 pages long and a bit dense at points, but is a motivating and encouraging group of pages with few unnecessary words.

23. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

The question was posed by Yali, a New Guinean politician in 1972, to Jared Diamond. “Why is it that you white people have developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own.” This simple question led Diamond on a hunt to explore society and geography and brought him to some fascinating conclusions about how the world has become what it is today. The read was eye opening on many levels, but mostly made me look at the world in a completely different way and forced me to write about what I thought I understood.

22. Within the Context of No Context by George W. S. Trow

Does the media tell us how we should think and feel about nearly everything? Is television just transmitter of dubious information? Trow uses history, personal and otherwise, to offer short, often disjointed, bites of writing to make some still relevant points about the nature of media and television — 30 years after Within the Context was first published. I think he was way ahead of his time. The book is a tough read, but worth the effort. For me, WTCONC is a terrific inspirational source for interesting ways to approach complicated social issues.

21. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Like Saunders, I could have chosen a handful of different books from Palahniuk that could have worked instead of Fight Club. So Fight Club‘s inclusion is really more a representation of Palahniuk, than his book being a particular inspiration — although it is definitely one of Chuck’s best. His clever use of devices and short punchy dialog is smart, funny, sometimes poignant and always entertaining. I think Palahniuk’s writing does for men what the romance novel does for women, using a bit of porn, violence, darkness and a deeper meaning as his calling card. I find it hard to go more than a few pages without needing to reach for pen and paper to note an idea his writing inspired. For what it is worth, Fight Club as a book is still better than the movie — and that’s saying something.

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While completely unbook-related, I cannot help but say, “Looky here at my probable new Travel. Write. Live. . There are still some tweaks coming over the next few days, but will likely have this new look up soon.

And now for the books…

30. The Art of Dramat!c Wr!t!ng by Lajos Egri

One of two books on this list of fifty given to me by friends over lunch who told me, “You need this book.” Both friends were correct. This book belongs on every writers shelf and carefully explains the importance of character and premise and opens the doors to ideas that were previously unexplored. I have written many pages attempting to do what Egri suggests.

29. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins

I admit this is not Robbin’s best work, but when I read this one many years ago he tore down rules about writing that made me want to take risks. Robbins walked a line between being dirty and not, important and ridiculous, and fun in spite of everything. However, if there were one book on this list that I could see being disliked by many, this would be it.

28. The Little Soul and the Sun by Neale Donald Walsch

Yes, it’s that Conversations with God guy doing a children’s book. The book is a little syrupy and sappy, and I do not necessarily believe in the book’s conclusion, but Little Soul always hits me in a way that makes me believe in the big picture and gets me thinking beyond the surface — a perfect reminder of how simple it is to write with a deeper message at its core.

27. The Power of Place by Harm De Blij

From children’s book to hardcore globalization and geography. De Blij is super smart and delves into a world of clarity about subjects I want to know more about: economics, religion, health and society. In many ways, some of the reasoning in this books is why I want to travel and promote cultural exchange. It is a way to create an understanding about a smaller world while maintaining all of its unique corners. While the Power of Place is accessible , I still wish I was a little smarter while reading it.

26. The Golden Bough by Sir James Frasier

A definite classic. I first read this and was fascinated by the amount of different ways humanity has found to worship. Later, I read this same book as an insightful guide to how religion comes to be. Personally, I never become used to the idea that we are all so similar physically but we have such an endless variety of ways to create meaning in each others lives.

Next up, the top 25!

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And now to my list…

35. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron with Mark Bryan

There are a couple of obvious, almost cliché titles on this list, but sometimes even cliché is appropriate. Here is one of them. If you were interested in creating art, in some way, in the 90s you probably read the Artist’s Way – I know I did. Armed with great inspirational quotes, a comfortable system and the ability overcome objection to creating, Cameron got me to write every morning. While some of the writing was forced, some of it was pretty good.

34. Genesis, a Living Conversation by Bill Moyers

Genesis is companion book to the public television series that gathered a variety of religious leaders, scholars, writers and lecturers into conversation about the first book of the Bible with expert moderator by Bill Moyers. The book, and the show on PBS, is intensely interesting and challenged the way I looked at the world and forced me to take a hard look at what I believed in. Oddly, the inspiration manifested in the form of fiction writing versus nonfiction, make of that what you will.

33. The Fire From Within by Carlos Castenda

I have had more than one debate about whether this book is fact or fiction. I have stood on both sides of the fence. Either way, Castenada has a unique ability to be fantastic without being salacious. Don Juan, whether real or imagined, is still a character I wish I knew in real life and his stories have never ceased to create something in me worth getting onto paper.

32. The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain

My appreciation for Mark Twain has skyrocketed over the last several years. Simply put he is a freaking genius. The Innocents Abroad is about Twain’s six-month trip through Europe and the Middle East. It is funny and insightful and most every page made me want to travel. While I do have some philosophical differences with Twain with regards to travel, this is a 140-year-old book still worth your time.

31. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Many years before Tony Robbins and Dr. Phil wanted to help us transform our lives, Napoleon Hill had spent twenty years interviewing the millionaires of the world and came up with 13 steps to personal success. It is creative and imaginative and offers ideas that are still completely relevant today.

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I suppose these questions coming from a seriously smart professor could appear threatening to the novice student who did not have the same literary background, but it never felt that way. Jim has a knack from making the intellectual book conversation nothing more than talking about books and why people like them. The class would then slowly ease into joining in offering other titles. During the course of the class, I was exposed to a ton of great reads, many of which inspired me to write, travel, and change my life in both little and big ways.

I never did get good at analyzing theme and smart literary perspectives, but I carried the simple discussion into my MFA program and continued to hear about great authors and writings that still inspire me to write, travel and change — all for the better. Now that grad school is over, I still want to know, “What is everybody reading?”

I do not plan to start discussions about writing, but I felt that letting you know what I am doing would help me continue to search for books. Not that I need more books, I already have way too many and do not have the heart to switch to kindle just yet. However, if you want to ring in with what you are reading, I would love it!

Here is what I have read recently…

March 2010
I know I have flaked on this article update, but I have not stopped reading, so let me catch you up to date with a few of the notables.

Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk
I am a Palahniuk fan because he makes me feel like I am reading the National Enquirer, Tiger Beat, Penthouse, and any book by Dr. Phil all rolled into one — sort of a dirtier version of a guilty pleasure. While definitely not one of Chuck’s best, Snuff does have some hilarious moments woven into an odd tale about a 600-person, record-breaking gang-bang. For obvious reasons, this one is not for kids or conservative sensibilities. I read it knowing I would be getting something ridiculous, and I did.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
I picked this one up at the library’s book store for a few bucks after I overheard two women singing its praises. I also knew about this story of a young professor giving a final lecture after discovering his terminal illness prior to reading this book. I desperately wanted to love this book. I wanted to be inspired by his personal strength, integrity and his “never give up” attitude. I hoped for something truly touching. Unfortunately, I have to be honest. The book is so-so. The stories are so-so. It did have some nice moments. However, there are a ton of other books that do the same only much better. I would recommend Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer. Palmer’s books is about the same size in dimension about 100 fewer pages and made 10 times the impact (I really hate writing this).

The Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios
Yes, this is a book on physic expressed through the super powers of superheroes. The book is funny, clever and, if you have a history with comic books, nostalgic. However, this is a book that explains and teaches physics, so it is all not just fun and games. So, have a greater interest in physics and the patience to learn more about a complicated subject and this may be a winner for you.

…And now, please add what you are reading below and maybe a few lines about whether you like it, or not.

January 2010
Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee
J. M. Coetzee is a South African writer who won the Nobel Prize for Barbarians. This book is now thirty year old, but it does not feel dated like several I have read in the last year. So far there is the war machine, cruelty, torture, injustice, the local population that are seen as faceless possessions worthy of being controlled by force. There is an intensity in the writing that I have felt compelled to follow, which is an ideal quality in a book. It is only 150 pages long so it is moving along too quickly in the space of time for me as a reader, again an ideal quality. I haven’t decided yet to either just finish it today or force myself to read it slowly and give myself eight pages a day to enjoy it.

I am also picking at The Friendly Guide to Mythology by Nancy Hathaway.
My daughter recently finished a series of young adult books that has her completely in love with Greek Mythology. While I am not in the dark on topic, I need some backup and this book is straight forward on a number of world mythologies. I think the Norse is still my favorite, go Loki!

I will be in Japan but will be bringing a book, so more next week.
devin

How to Read Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster – Jan 12, 2010
Actually, I just finished this one. I guess while I will never be like Jim Krusoe in the litarary genius category, I have not thrown in the towel. Foster made a quick read that shows how food, fairy tales, vampires, the Bible, Greek mythology, others and lots of other things can have multiple meanings beyond the words on the page, and they usually do. I liked the way he covered the gamut of major subjects of history and subject matter (like vampires) and leaves lots of room to remind the reader that there is never only one way to look at a story or symbols within a story. It does get a little repetitious and I don’t understand Foster’s love of the Dubliners by Joyce, a book that does not stand the test of time and is too nuanced for my taste, but still worth the read if you are inclined to see more layers in writing.

If your like, add your book titles in our discussion section, directly below. -d-