Synopses & Reviews
Literary Nonfiction. This is an inspiring book about writing and—more unusually—a book that honors ambition, that idiosyncratic drive that compels writers and other artists to action despite every kind of obstacle. Upton explores forces that threaten our ability to fulfill the most daring aspirations, and she examines ambition's adjuncts, including failure, boredom, and purity, offering a provocative antidote: obsession. Ultimately Upton argues for a new perception of literary art as "a good secret" for our time, when our interior lives and our imaginations are under threat.
Synopsis
This is an excellent book about writing and-more unusually-a book that honors ambition, that idiosyncratic drive that compels writers and other artists to action and then keeps them going, despite every kind of obstacle. In a linked series of essays, Lee Upton reclaims ambition as an essential value, describing its roles (as subject, and as motivation) in truly great writing. Upton explores forces that threaten our ability to fulfill the most daring aspirations, and she examines ambition's adjuncts, including failure, boredom, and purity, offering a provocative antidote: obsession. One chapter, "Bigamy for Beginners," celebrates the nerve needed to cross boundaries between genres. Ultimately Upton argues for a new perception of literary art as "a good secret" for our era, when readers' interior lives and our imaginations are under threat as never before.
About the Author
Lee Upton is the author of twelve books, including five collections of poetry, a novella, and four books of literary criticism. Her awards include a Pushcart Prize, the National Poetry Series Award, two awards from the Poetry Society of America, and the Miami University Novella Award. She is Writer-in-Residence and a professor of English at Lafayette College.