Letters to a Young Writer: Some Practical and Philosophical Advice
by Colum McCann, 2017

Put yer arse in the seat. You can’t write if you don’t put the time in, so be sure to give a solid effort before succumbing to distractions or distress. That’s the piece of advice that most transfers to academic writing. I read it hoping for more nuggets that I could apply to my work, but the book wasn’t really written for me. It’s focused on fiction writing, and, from my outside perspective, seems to be useful and well-written for that purpose. The part about getting blurbs for your novel seems reminiscent of getting external letters for your tenure review.

I listened to the audiobook on my drive. This is one of the few where having the author read it is a positive, as McCann’s Irish accent and tone are great.