内容简介
"Thirtyyearsagomyolderbrother,whowastenyearsoldatthetime,wastryingtogetareportonbirdswrittenthathe'dhadthreemonthstowrite.Itwasduethenextday.WewereoutatourfamilycabininBolinas,andhewasatthekitchentableclosetotears,surroundedbybinderpaperandpencilsandunopenedbooksonbirds,immobilizedbythehugenessofthetaskahead.Thenmyfathersatdownbesidehim,puthisarmaroundmybrother'sshoulder,andsaid,'Birdbybird,buddy.Justtakeitbirdbybird.'"
作者简介
AnneLamott'srecoveryfromalcoholismanddrugabusehelpedhercareerintwoways.First,itmarkedanartisticreboundforthenovelist;second,she'sbecomeaninspirationalfiguretofanswhohavereadherfrank,funnynonfictionbookscoveringtopicsfrommotherhoodtoreligionto,yes,fightingforsobriety.Earlyon,Lamott'shard-lucknovelswereimpressivechroniclesoffamilystrifepunctuatedbybad(butoftenentertaining)behavior.EveryoneinLamott'sbooksissortofscrewedup,butshestocksthemwithahumorandcoredecencythatmakethemhardtoresist.InHardLaughter,shetellsthe(semi-autobiographical)storyofadysfunctionalfamilyrockedbythefather'sbraintumordiagnosis.InRosieandits1997sequel,CrookedLittleHeart,theheroinesareasassyteenagegirlandheralcoholic,widowedmom.AnotherprecociouschildprovidesthepointofviewinAllNewPeople,inwhichagirlridesoutthewavesofthe1960swithhernuttyparents.Lamott'sconversational,directstyleandcynicalhumorhavealwaysbeenstrengths,andwithAllNewPeople--thefirstbookshewroteaftergettingsober--sheturnedacorner.Reedemingherselffromthedisastrousreviewsofhermessy(toomuchso,evenfortheendearinglymessyLamott)1985thirdnovelJoeJones,Lamott'stalentcamebackintofocus."AnneLamottisacauseforcelebrations,"theNewYorkereffused."[Her]realgeniusliesincapturingtheineffable,describingnotperfectmoments,butimperfectones...perfectly.Sheisnothingshortofmiraculous."Thatsaid,Lamott'ssensibilityisnotforeveryone.Thefaith,bothhumanandspiritual,inherbooksisaccompaniedbyherunsparingironyandadistinctdisregardforwholesomenessorconventionality;andGodhereisforsinnersasmuchas(ifnotmorethan)forsaints.Hergirlsareoftennotgirlsbuthalf-adults;heradults,vice-versa.Shefindstheadolescent,weakspotsinallhercharacters,makingthempeopletorootforatthesametime.AmongLamott'smostmessy,troubledcharactersistheauthorherself,andshebeganturningthistoheradvantagewiththe1993memoirOperatingInstructions,asinglemom'smeditationonthebigexperiment--failuresincluded--ofnewparenthood.ItwasalsointhisbookthatLamott"cameoutofthecloset"withherChristianity,andearnedawholenewfollowingthatgrewwithhersubsequentmemoirs,BirdbyBird:SomeInstructionsonWritingandLifeandTravelingMercies.HowevergiftedLamottwasatconveyingfictionalstories,itwasintellingherownstoriesthatherself-deprecatinghumorandhard-earnedwisdomreallymadethemselvesknown,andlovedbyreaders.
