Scribble, Scribble, Scribble No matter how the mode. of writing evolves, from pen to keyboard, no mat­ter the changing tastes of publishers and readers, aspiring and practicing writers across all genres are likely to seek guid­ance. And as with so much in this age of specialization, writing guides are now being written for nearly every niche. Take a look at these new offerings, and you're likely to find candidates to strengthen the wordsmithing part of your collection.

Bogen, Nancy. Be a Poet! Twickenham Pr. Oct. 2007. c.421p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-936726-07-6. pap. $34.95.

This is a foundational guide by retired English professor Bogen (How To Write Poetry). Though she concentrates on aca­demic topics (e.g., poetic forms, rhyme types, meter, etc.), her approach is infor-

and talents. His approach will answer such questions as "how do you get your ideas?" and "how long do you write each day?" An eloquent and honest record of his day's work. The finished story, "The Governor's Ball,'' is included. Highly rec­ommended for all libraries.

Herring, Laraine. Writing Begins with the Breath: Embodying Your Authentic Voice. Shambhala. Sept. 2007. c.224p. bibliog. ISBN 978-1-59030-473-0. pap. $12.95.

Herring is a short story writer who also has a degree in psychology. She draws the principles of yoga into the service of authentic composition, or what she calls "deep writing." The result is a worthwhile and motivating read for all writers, whether or not they are familiar with yoga. Chapters with headings like "Curiosity," "Empathy,"

Ron Carlson Writes a Story

and "Acceptance" also function well as short meditations on life. Those who enjoy Julia Cameron's (The Artist's Way, etc.) holistic approach should similarly like Herring's work. Recommended.

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Jacobs, Charles. The Writer Within You: A Step-by­Step Guide to Writing

Ron Carlson

and Publishing in Your Retirement Years. Caros Bks. Oct. 2007. c.321p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-9793636-0-3. pap. $19.95.

mal. The text and the many accompanying · exercises grow to feel like a one-sided, sometimes repetitive, conversation, but the book has value as a compact manual of the poet's tools. Recommended for large collections.

* carlson, Ron. Ron Carlson-Writes a Story. Graywolf Pr. Sept. 2007. c.120p. ISBN 978-1-55597-477-0. pap. $12.

With this diminutive account of a short story's one•day progress from conception to completed first draft, fiction writer Carlson (A Kind of Flying: Selected Sto­ries) presents a gift to writers of all stages

70 I LIBRARY JOURNAL I SEPTEMBER 15, 2007

Jacobs (former editor in chief, Travel World International) has created an attractive and thorough guide aimed at the retired among us but useful for others as well. He begins by briefly discussing writers' doubts and the quest for ideas, then moves directly into "Writing Your Book." He concentrates mostly on novel writing but also refers to memoirs and other nonfiction. In the third and fourth sections, on publishing and market­ing a book and placing magazine articles, respectively, his own experience serves readers well. There is a valuable appendix of reputable resources for writers. Recom­mended for all public libraries.

* The New Writer's Handbook 2007. Scarletta Pr. 2007. c.288p. ed. by Philip Martin. ISBN 978-0-9765201-6-0. pap. $16.95.

Editor Martin begins a new annual anthology and from the preface by Erica Jong to the closing piece by Mary Pipher, it surprises and satisfies. The selections from recent books, periodicals, and online sources range from the practical to the lyrical, covering those subjects often ex­pounded upon-the source of ideas, suc­cessful beginnings, showing vs. telling­while concentrating on such less-explored topics as sloppy workspaces, writing sex scenes, interviewing, bad reviews, and more. Librarian Marylaine Block's essay, "My First Rule of Information," is just one of the many jewels in the collection. If you purchase only one book from this list, make it this one.

Smith, Alexander Gordon. Inspired Creative Writing: Pokes and Prods for Scribblers of All Stripes. Perigee: Berkley. (52 Brilliant Ideas). 2007. c.237p. index. ISBN 978-0-399-53347-1. pap. $15.95.

Novelist Smith offers fiction writers, poets, and screenwriters prompts for each week of the year. His tone is con­versational, and the text is sprinkled with black-and-white photographs, quotations, and sidebars. The result is a light treat­ment of some of the most common writing topics and dilemmas. The sidebar­writing exercises are the strongest fea­ture. Much of the rest has mixed meta­phors and cliches; better coverage can be found elsewhere. Optional for school libraries and teen collections.

Tiberghien, Susan M. One Year to a Writing Life: Twelve Lessons To Deepen Every Writer's Art and Craft. Marlowe & Co. 2007. c.288p. bibliog. ISBN 978-1-60094-058-3. pap. $15.99.

As the title states, this guide is orga­nized into separate workshops applicable to many kinds of writing. Each lesson contains five-to 15-minute exercises and closes with suggestions for undertaking the exercises over a month-long period.

Chapters are nicely balanced between practical and mystical guidance, with excerpts from notable writings as ex­amples. The "inspirational" elements, such as Tiberghien's fascination with the Hindu/Buddhist concept of the mandala, may not resonate for some readers. For comprehensive writing collections.

BRIEFLY NOTED Leonard, Elmore. Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing. Morrow. Nov. 2007.

. c.90p. illus. ISBN 978-0-06-145146-1. $14.95.

Concise. Ten rules. Each shorter than this summary. Originally appeared in the New York Times in 2001. Slim, but for writers not into reading, it may be the perfect pick. The illustrations (almost caricatures) by Joe Ciardiello add pages but little else.

Shapiro, Susan. Only as Good as Your Word: Writing Lessons from My Favorite Literary Gurus. Seal: Avalon. Oct. 2007. c.405p.ISBN 978-1-58005-220-7. pap. $15.95.

Shapiro (Secrets of a Fix-up Fa­natic: How To Meet & Marry Your Match) has had success blending memoir with how-to. Her latest breezy narrative conveys rather than spells out the lessons she learned from vari­ous writing mentors. Her adventures may give aspiring professional writers the hints they need for success-or at least remind them by example that the memoir genre is an elastic one.

Ziegler, Alan. The Writing Workshop Note Book: Notes on Creating and Workshopping. Soft Skull Pr. Jan. 2008. c.192p. bibliog. ISBN 978-1-93336-870-2. pap. $14.95.

Insights, advice, and allusions for writing workshop participants, both teachers and students. The subtitle's verbing of a noun and the barrage of quotes from the canon's mainstays on almost every page may not inspire all, but poet and story writer Ziegler (chair, Sch. of the Arts Writing Divi­sion, Columbia Univ.; So Much To Do) has a devoted follpwing and is much admired.-Margaret Heilbrun

Stacey Rae Brownlie, business refer­ence librarian, Duke Street Business Center, Lancaster, PA, reviews books on the craft of writing for LJ. She will receive her MLS degree in December

of the courageous struggle against corrup­tion in high places never unravels. A fine book to have alongside Daniel Wilkinson's broader Silence on the Mountain: Stories cfTer­ror, Betrayal, & Forgetting in Guatemala; highly recommended for modern history collec­tions. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/07.)­Eiizabeth Morris, Barrington Area Lib., IL

Koenig, David. Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World. Bonaventure Pr. Oct. 2007. 334p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-964060-52-4. $27.95. HIST

Koenig, the author of two highly respected, behind-the-scenes books on Disneyland (Mouse Tales; More Mouse Tales), now sheds light on the beginnings of Walt Disney World. Walt Disney was upset with how the area around Disneyland gave rise to cheap motels and trinket shops, so he· de­cided to build another park in Florida and purchased enough land to control every as- · pect of the environs. Koenig's description of the backdoor deals, phony companies, and lengths the Disney Company went to se­cure the thousands of acres needed to build the new park is fascinating. Disney's dream of EPCOT -the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, a multilevel, climate-controlled model city with a net­work of people movers-was never fully realized, but a park with that name opened in 1982. While the Mouse Tales books em­phasized cast member stories at Disneyland, here Koenig takes time to immerse readers fully in the history of what is now the top tourist destination in the world. Interview­ing almost 100 people and incorporating almost a decade of research, Koenig has written his best book to date. Perfect for Disney fans and history buffs; for all library collections.-Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.l.

* Meredith, Martin. Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa. PublicAffairs: Perseus. Sept. 2007. c.512p. index. ISBN 978-1-58648-473-6. $30. HIST

Meredith (The Fate cf Africa) continues his superb accounts of Africa, here centering on the period from the discovery of the first diamond field in 1870 to the formation of the modern state in 1910. South Africa in the early 1800s was a hodgepodge ofBritish colonies, Boer republics, and African chief­doms until the discovery of rich diamond and gold deposits. Raw power, corruption, racism, and the debacle of the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) are well covered in this distinguished account. Throughout, Mer­edith intertwines and exposes the roles of diamond titan Cecil Rhodes and Boer leader Paul Kruger, who defied the British for nearly a quarter of a century. Underly-

ing this story is the horrible cost to Africa's native peoples and the rise of the virulent Afrikaner nationalism that lasted nearly a century. Meredith thoroughly involves us .in this gripping history. Highly recommended for alllibraries.'-Mary C. Allen, Everett P.L., WA

* Nichols, David A. A Matter of Justice: Eisenhower and. the Beginning of the Civil Rights Revolution. S. & S. Sept. 2007. c.368p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-4165-4150-9. $27. HIST

Historians have given Dwight Eisenhower low marks for his civil rights record mostly because he did not use the presidential "bully pulpit" to educate the public about segregation's evils. Nichols (Lincoln and the Indians: Civil War Policy and Politics) offers a convincing differing view, which concludes that Eisenhower made unprecedented and enduring contributions to the civil rights cause that laid the groundwork for the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. These include completing the integration of the armed forces; desegregat­ing Washington, DC; and, most important, appointing Earl Warren as chief justice of the Supreme Court and four other pro-civil rights associate justices. None of these events was accidental, according to Nichols, be­cause Eisenhower believep in economic and social justice for African Americans. How­ever, the author rightly admonishes Eisen­hower for his reluctance to speak out against the South's failure to obey the laws of the land and for not recognizing the moral sup­port such speeches could have given African Americans. This impressive revisionist ac­count is strongly recommended for larger public and all academic collections. [See Prepub Alert, L] 5/15/07; see the Q&A with Nichols, p. 72.-Ed.)-Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA

Rasenberger, Jim. America, 1908: The Dawn of Flight, the Race to the Pole, the Invention of the Model T, and the Making of a Modern Nation. Scribner. Nov. 2007. c.320p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-7432-8077-8. $27. HIST

Rasenberger (High Steel: The Daring Men Who Built the World's Greatest Skyline) ad­dresses American technological achieve­ments and their impact on the national mood a century ago. Although episodic and largely centered on the East Coast, the result is an engaging work of popular history. Without neglecting the formidable challenges of con­tinuing racism and the need for workplace reforms, Rasenberger makes the case for a buoyant nation as confident-and contra­dictory-as its president i12 1908, Theodore Roosevelt. Beginning with the first New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square and

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