Anne Lamott

Anne Lamott
Born	April 10, 1954 San Francisco, California, United States
Occupation	Novelist, non-fiction writer, essayist, memoirist
Nationality	American
Genre	Drama, humor, literary fiction
Children	1 son

Anne Lamott (born April 10, 1954) is an American novelist and non-fiction writer.

She is also a progressive political activist, public speaker, and writing teacher. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, her nonfiction works are largely autobiographical. Marked by their self-deprecating humor and openness, Lamott's writings cover such subjects as alcoholism, single-motherhood, depression, and Christianity.^[1]

Life and career

Lamott was born in San Francisco, and is a graduate of Drew School. She was a student at Goucher College for two years where she wrote for the newspaper.^[2] Her father, Kenneth Lamott, was also a writer. Her first published novel Hard Laughter was written for him after his diagnosis of brain cancer. She has one son, Sam, who was born in August 1989 and a grandson, Jax, born in July 2009.^[3]

Lamott's life was documented in Freida Lee Mock's 1999 documentary Bird by Bird with Annie: A Film Portrait of Writer Anne Lamott.^[4] Because of the documentary and her following on Facebook and other online networks, she is often called the "People's Author".^[5]

Lamott has described why she writes:

I try to write the books I would love to come upon, that are honest, concerned with real lives, human hearts, spiritual transformation, families, secrets, wonder, craziness—and that can make me laugh. When I am reading a book like this, I feel rich and profoundly relieved to be in the presence of someone who will share the truth with me, and throw the lights on a little, and I try to write these kinds of books. Books, for me, are medicine.^[6]

Lamott is cited as a writer who captures well the style of narrative nonfiction called particularism, coined by Howard Freeman.^[7]

Awards and honors

Lamott was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1985.^[8] She was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2010.^[9]

Bibliography

Novels

• Hard Laughter. Viking Press. 1980. ISBN 0-670-36140-2.
• Rosie. Viking Press. 1983. ISBN 0-670-60828-9.
• Joe Jones. North Point Press. 1985. ISBN 0-86547-209-2.
• All New People. North Point Press. 1989. ISBN 0-86547-394-3.
• Crooked Little Heart. Pantheon Books. 1997. ISBN 0-679-43521-2.
• Blue Shoe. Riverhead Books. 2002. ISBN 1-57322-226-7.
• Imperfect Birds. Riverhead Books. 2010. ISBN 1-59448-751-0.

Non-fiction

• Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year. Pantheon Books. 1993. ISBN 978-0-679-42091-0.
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Pantheon Books. 1994. ISBN 978-0-679-43520-4.
• Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith. Pantheon Books. 1999. ISBN 978-0-679-44240-0.
• Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith. Riverhead Books. 2005. ISBN 978-1-57322-299-0.
• Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith. Riverhead Books. 2007. ISBN 978-1-59448-942-6.
• Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son's First Son. Riverhead Books. 2012. ISBN 978-1-59448-841-2. (with Sam Lamott)
• Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers. Riverhead Books. 2012. ISBN 978-1-59463-129-0.
• Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair. Riverhead Books. 2013. ISBN 978-1-59463-258-7.
• Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace. Riverhead Books. 2014. ISBN 978-1-59448-629-6.

References

1. Lamott, Anne. "My son, the stranger". Salon. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
2. Flanagan, Mark. "Anne Lamott". About Entertainment. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
3. Hetter, Katia (6 April 2012). "Anne Lamott's directions for grandparents: 'Some Assembly Required'". CNN. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
4. Freida Lee Mock (Director) (1999-08-01). Bird by Bird with Annie (Documentary). Vanguard International Cinema.
5. Smiley, Tavis (14 April 2010). "Interview with Anne Lamott". PBS. Archived from the original on 16 April 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
6. "Quote of the Day". Religion Blog. Dallas Morning News. 2008-02-10.
7. Rice, Priscilla. New York Times Bestseller Anne Lamott and Son Sam Record New Novel at Live Oak Studio in Berkeley. PR News. January 26, 2012.
8. "Anne Lamott - Fellow - 1985 - Fiction". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
9. Tagg, Mariel. "2010 CA Hall of Fame, red carpet induction ceremony". Sacramento Press. Retrieved 4 November 2014.

Further reading

• Bochynski, Pegge. (2010) "Anne Lamott" in American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies, Supplement XX, Mary Antin to Phillis Wheatley. Ed. Jay Parini. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons p131-146.
• Bouris, Karen (Jan–Feb 2013). "Anne Lamott : life as a black-belt codependent". Interview. Spirituality & Health. 15 (6): 48–53.
• Vandenburgh, Jane. (2010) Architecture of the Novel: A Writer's Handbook. Anne Lamott (Foreword). Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint ISBN 1582435979

External links

• Works by or about Anne Lamott in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Anne Lamott on Facebook
• Salon.com: articles by Anne Lamott
• Profile – Steven Barclay Agency
• Write TV Public Television Interview (2004)
• Minnesota Public Radio Interview (2007)
• Interview for Writers on the Record (2007)
• Goodreads.com: Author profile: Anne Lamott