The book of alchemy

Memoirist Jaouad (Between Two Kingdoms) describes in this luminous guide how adopting a daily creative practice can make for a more fulfilling life. After being diagnosed with leukemia at 22, Jaouad was inspired by Michael Bierut, a design professor who'd asked his graduate students to perform "one creative act for 100 days," to start a daily journaling practice in hopes of finding meaning in her illness. She discovered that journaling helped her remain "in conversation with the world" from her hospital bed, and repeated the process several times afterward. With this as a model, she gathers prompts from 100 novelists, journalists, and artists who invite readers to begin their own journaling practice. Kiese Laymon suggests writing about a funny or embarrassing memory from the point of view of an inanimate object at the scene, to create an emotional remove. Elsewhere, Lena Dunham muses on her fascination with movie star Brittany Murphy and the circumstances of her death, and suggests writing about a celebrity obsession and what it might reveal about oneself. The prompts are varied enough to appeal to devoted diarists and newbies alike, and Jaouad poignantly interweaves her own intimate meditations on creativity, pain, and art. The result is a stellar guide that's sure to spark the imagination. (Apr.)

How to find inspiration. Memoirist Jaouad gathers advice from 100 contributors who, like her, see journaling as a "life-altering and even life-saving practice" that can help "tap into that mystical trait that exists in every human: creativity." Grouped into 10 sections--beginning, memory, fear, seeing, love, the body, rebuilding, ego, purpose, and alchemy--each brief contribution ends with a writing prompt designed to spur ideas. Novelist and memoirist Dani Shapiro asks, "What would you write if you weren't afraid? Set a timer for ten minutes. Don't worry. No one's going to read a word. You can shred it. You can burn it. You can keep it. It's entirely up to you." Journalist Noor Tagouri asks readers to complete the sentence, "If you really knew me…." Responses can be one or several statements, she adds. "Then sit with them. Ask yourself: What would your life be like if people knew these things about you? How would your circle of friends change? What about your job?" Elizabeth Gilbert, author ofEat, Pay, Love andBig Magic, advises, "Write a letter from love. Begin your letter with this question: 'Dear Love, What would you have me know today?' And then let love itself write a letter to you. Trust that you are worthy of this compassion and affection. And trust--please trust, my friend--that every word of your letter is true." Contributors include some well-known names (Lena Dunham, Ann Patchett, Salmon Rushdie) as well as a wide range of less familiar creative souls: a social worker, nurse, Olympic speed skater, cartoonist, many journalists, and a death row inmate who was executed in 2021 despite Jaouad's efforts to get him clemency. His prompt for readers: "When was the last time you really noticed your inner strength?" A warmly encouraging writing companion. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.