Permission - by Elissa Altman (Hardcover)

About the Book

"On Permission: A Manifesto for Writers, Artists, and Dreamers is for anyone with a creative impulse, a resource to be reached for during times both fertile and not. The creative process often unfolds, albeit haphazardly, in a fairly predictable fashion: the impulse to create, the anxiety of starting, and-hopefully-the making of art. Along the way, a million different things can derail the process. Exploring subjects such as "The Myth of Perfection." "The Specter of Silence," and "Hubris and Humility," the goal of On Permission: A Manifesto for Writers, Artists, and Dreamers is to inspire and guide creatives to a place of transformation, of freedom from the constraints of shame and fear in all their forms, and to the understanding and recognition of the ethics of story-making, art-making, truth-telling, permission, and creative soul-saving. While especially good for writers, On Permission is also for creatives working in visual art, music, and beyond. Embedded within the essays are inspiring quotes from Annie Dillard, Zadie Smith, Jane Kenyon, Andrew Wyeth, Stanley Kunitz, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jericho Brown, Jacqueline Woodson, Wallace Stegner, Vivian Gornick, Ross Gay, Cheryl Strayed, Anne Lamott, George Saunders, Melissa Pritchard, Sally Mann, Dani Shapiro, Adrienne Rich, St. Augustine, and others"--

Book Synopsis

Who am I to tell my story? And how can we grant ourselves permission to write the stories we're compelled to tell when we've been told we shouldn't?

Without fail, almost every writer--new or experienced--has faced dire questions of permission and story ownership: there is something that they want to write about, that they need to write about. Yet: they can't. They have been warned not to. They might be paralyzed with shame, threatened with shunning, chastened into silence. Even if what they need to write about has defined them and their worldviews.

But what if they did? What if you did?

After writing three critically-acclaimed memoirs and a decade of teaching memoir workshops at every level, Elissa Altman has helped students face the elephant in every writer's room: how to craft the stories that are most vital to them despite the voices that have told them not to. Permission is a master course, not only on how to craft memoir, but how to begin and keep going when you've been told you can't, and how to give yourself permission to transcend the fear that keeps vital stories from being written.

We are the storytelling species; this book will inspire and guide all creatives to a place of transformation, of freedom from the constraints of shame and fear in all their forms, and to the understanding and recognition of the ethics of story-making, art-making, truth-telling, and creative soul-saving.

Review Quotes

"Elissa Altman's marvelous, passionate and charming new book, Permission, is going to breathe freedom into your life. It is a clarion call for writers to tell their hard, lifelong truth, no matter how many decades they have agreed to stay silent. Lies and cover-ups won't save you. This book just might."

--Anne Lamott, author of Somehow

"Altman shares what she's learned about overcoming shame and fear to write boldly about what's at the heart of one's life. A writing guide, yes -- but this book goes well beyond craft advice into the realm of life lessons."

--Boston Globe

"I can't think of a better book on the craft of memoir. Erudite, wise and deeply personal, Permission burrows into the complexity of telling our own stories. This is a masterclass."

--Katherine May, author of Wintering

"An engaging guide to the often rewarding, sometimes risky work of writing the stories that make us who we are."
--Portland Press Herald

"Life-affirming and reflective, the writer's guide Permission explores concepts of creative validity and emergence."

--Foreword Reviews

"Full of stories drawn from Elissa Altman's life and other authors' experiences, Permission is an inspirational guide to defusing shame through self-disclosure and claiming the time and focus to write."

--Shelf Awareness

"With Permission, Elissa Altman has given us a profound and generous gift. She candidly addresses the slipperiest questions behind making art from life: Can I tell my story? What are the risks and rewards? How do I care for myself--and others--in the process? There are only a handful of books I recommend every time I teach, without fail, and Permission will be one of them. This insightful, empowering book should be on every writer's shelf."

--Maggie Smith, author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful