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Joyride: A Memoir
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About This Book
"The story of my life is the story of my stories," writes Susan Orlean in this memoir. Joyride is a ride through Orlean's life and career, where every day is an opportunity for discovery and every moment holds the potential for wonder. Throughout her storied career, her curiosity draws her to explore the most ordinary and extraordinary of places, from going deep inside the head of a regular ten-year-old boy for a legendary profile ("The American Man Age Ten") to reporting on a woman who owns twenty-seven tigers, from capturing the routine magic of Saturday night to climbing Mt. Fuji.Not only does Orlean's account of a writing life offer a trove of indispensable gleanings for writers, it's also an essential and practical guide to embracing any creative path. She takes us through her process of dreaming up ideas, managing deadlines, connecting with sources, chasing every possible lead, confronting writer's block and self-doubt, and crafting the perfect lede—a Susan specialty.
Reviews
"Writers new and established will savor every word."
"A spry, entertaining memoir/writing workshop by a nonfiction artist at the top of her game."
"It's not written as a craft book, of course; it's a memoir, and an entertaining one at that."
"Orlean's sense of adventure and narration of her daily life make it an entertaining and often hilarious journey."
"Orlean rises to the challenge of writing about her own life with grace ..."
"There are many droll stories in Joyride, Ms."
"Orlean candidly describes the sometimes bumpy road her books traveled through multiple publishers and editors to publication ..."
"This down-to-earth leviathan invites you to sit right next to her on her joyride, and even imagine you might take your own version."
"The latter portions of the book feel more like dinner-party stories than the close studies that distinguish her other writing."
"As with many of her stories, one of the joys of this memoir is that it is the story of a relatively ordinary life, made special by her words."
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