I haven’t actually finished Mary Pipher’s latest book, Writing to Change the World yet, so it’s probably weird for me to be doing a review. It’s a really meaty little book, though, and I haven’t finished it because I keep going back to re-read sections or copy some of the quotes scattered through the text.
The focus of the book is on persuasive writing. I like the fact that Pipher acknowledges the power of stories and fiction to inspire change.
I’ve got to return it to the library (it’s way late because I didn’t want to let go of it), but I’m definitely going to find a copy of my own soon. As I really don’t buy that many books, preferring to read them from the library, buying a copy after I read the library’s copy is pretty high praise.
I’ve admired Pipher for years, since reading Reviving Ophelia and The Shelter of Each Other, but something I learned today raises her even higher in my esteem. Last year, she returned an award she received from the American Psychological Association to protest the APA’s continuing support of torture by the U.S. government. The article includes her letter to the APA, and I encourage you to read it.
