Priscilla Long delves into the profound exploration of creativity and craft across her diverse body of work. Her essays and poetry often grapple with existential questions, while her instructional texts offer practical guidance for creators in all disciplines. Long is celebrated for her accessible yet incisive prose, empowering readers to cultivate their own artistic potential.
Focusing on the potential for happiness, creativity, and productivity in later life, this book leverages current scientific insights to redefine old age. It showcases various models, particularly highlighting elders engaged in the arts, to illustrate the vibrant possibilities that this stage of life can offer.
The author showcases a multifaceted individual who embodies the roles of a scientific writer, art scholar, social activist, historical enthusiast, and poet. The narrative invites readers to explore the interplay between darkness and light, emphasizing how art enriches life through vibrant colors and emotional depth. As readers engage with the text, they are guided by an insightful voice that highlights art's transformative power, enhancing awareness and evoking a spectrum of feelings, from joy to vulnerability.
Designed to mentor writers at all levels, from beginning to quite advanced, The Writer's Portable Mentor offers a wealth of insight and crafting models from the author's twenty-plus years of teaching and creative thought. This second edition is updated to account for changes in the publishing industry and provides hundreds of new craft models to inspire, guide, and develop every writer's work.
A Handbook for Painters, Composers, Writers, and Other Creators
Focusing on the creative process, this handbook offers practical guidance for artists and writers at any stage of their journey. Long draws from her experiences and the wisdom of notable figures like Raymond Chandler, Twyla Tharp, Patti Smith, and Joan Miró. The book covers the entire artistic journey, from initial inspiration to completing works and marketing them effectively. It serves as a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their creative practice and navigate the complexities of artistic expression.
Suitable for both beginning and advanced writers of fiction and nonfiction, The Writer's Portable Mentor: A Guide to Art, Craft, and the Writing Life distills 20 years of teaching and creative thought by the well-published author Priscilla Long. The Writer's Portable Mentor helps writers understand and incorporate the regular practices of virtuoso creators; provides a guide to structuring literary, journalistic, or fictional pieces or entire books; opens the door to the sentence strategies of the masters; provides tools for developing a poet's ear for use in prose; trains writers in the observation skills of visual artists; and guides them toward more effective approaches to getting their work into the world. Says Maya Sonenberg, Director of the Creative Writing Program at University of Washington, "I have never seen anything quite like Priscilla Long's book. It presents a true alternative for the advanced writer."