I Want to be Anne Lamott
By Dixie Darr
“Well-behaved women rarely make history.”
Saying on a button
“Well, of course she can write,” I thought snidely when I first read Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird . “Her father was a writer.” When she finished her first book, she sent it to her father’s agent. I oozed jealousy, knowing I’d never be able to write with such stunning honesty and humor. After all, there were no writers in my family. That was just one in a long string of excuses that for years kept me from writing.
I couldn’t be that truthful in print because my real thoughts would shock my family and friends and turn them against me. I considered using a pen name. My own name was too cute, too memorable. My life, on the other hand, was decidedly bland. I couldn’t write because I didn’t have anything to write about. Lamott’s was life was crammed with material and I envied her that, too. Not that I wanted to be a bulimic recovering alcoholic, former cocaine user, and unwed mother, you understand, but you have to admit it wouldn’t be boring.
Her Traveling Mercies, Some Thoughts on Faith, became my all time favorite book and I bought it for almost everybody on my Christmas list. I was annoyed when I couldn’t find any new writings by her for several years. Then I found her at Salon.com and breathed a sigh of relief.
About a month ago, I discovered that anybody, including me, could start a blog here at Salon.com. The opportunity to write for the same publication as my hero was too much for me. I started this blog and now regularly air my musings at the same website as Anne Lamott, which pleases me greatly. Of course, she gets paid for it. J
9:47:54 AM 
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