Customer Reviews

Eleventh Draft, The

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When you have a book that is a collection of essays on a subject then it's never quite as good as the best essay, nor is it ever as bad as the worst essay. As far as books like this on writing go, it's a good one.

Essays span everything from craft to life, from the specific to the general. The one's I enjoyed the most were by the editor Frank Conroy who in the introduction provides a quote that should be given to all beginning writers. Ethan Canin makes a great case for detail and sustaining the imagination. Fred Leebron speaks on letting characters become characters, speaking as they are wont to speak. Tom Grimes talks about finishing books and about revising saying that when a book is finally done he can '...as the saying goes, get professional help.' And there is an essay by Francine Prose on details, and she is always clear and wonderful to read. Other invitees seem way off base, talking about their own lives or histories. Elizabeth McCracken for example seems to have utterly missed the purpose of the piece.

The book hits about a 80% mark on good essays, a high mark for books like this and more than enough for me to recommend it. And as with such books, you will often go back to the better essays for that rejuvenating elixir.

A toast! Tenure all around. Bravo, marvellous. All of you--really. Really, truly marvelous. So many insights. You've got Paris on the Iowa River out there, you really do. A round table to make King Arthur proud. A real Salon--Kantian style. Brilliant, on every possible level. So true, everything was so true; and so well-said, from start to finish. Not a word out of place. Ideal. Perfection! Stupendous! I can't rave enough. Tenure for everyone! On me!

Elizabeth McCracken, Stuart Dybek, and Tom Grimes deliver the best here (in my opinion), but the other essays are worth reading. There is throughout the book a shared love of writing--even at its most frustrating and formdible. The title, The Eleventh Draft, is a gentle nudge to the rest of us that God is in the revisions; that no one--not even the best (and these writers are good)--writes easily or quickly, and that the process of writing is just as meaningful as the result (even if nobody ever sees your 11th draft but you). :-)

A compilation of essays from former students and teachers of the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop, editor Frank Conroy's book The Eleventh Draft attempts to capture the essence of the writer's life. "These essays," Conroy notes in the introduction, "are written by people who struggle with both the visible and invisible realities of language every day of their lives." Consequently, authors including Stuart Dybek, Elizabeth McCracken, and Barry Hannah reflect on the unique nature of their profession. The tone varies wildly; while authors such as William Lashner and Justin Cronin write in a deeply personal manner, Scott Spencer and James Alan McPherson give more detached, less introspective observations. This variance renders some essays less affecting than others, but most are engaging, thoughtful pieces. Despite such a lofty goal this book is an overall success, a testament to Conroy's faith in his selected writers (evidenced in his "deliberately vague" instructions for each contributing author) as well as the authors' individual talents. Those looking for pragmatic tips should look elsewhere. However, prose writers seeking both inspiration and insight should find this book both valuable and enjoyable.