Acceptable Words

Reviews / Votes

Walter Wangerin Jr. author of Letters from the Land of Cancer "Most writers recognize that writing is more a job than a cry from Heaven. Writing requires a kind of nine-to-five discipline. If it were inspiration alone, writing itself would be its own prayer. . . . The prayers in this book, written by writers of various times and places, are sometimes beautiful, sometimes yearning, sometimes thanksgiving, and sometimes a beating on Heaven's doors. Yet they may be the prayers of all writers in all times." Lillian Daniel coauthor of This Odd and Wondrous Calling "As if writers needed one more justifiable reason to procrastinate, now we have this delightfully compelling collection of prayers. A treasure for writers and those who love writing, this book honors the divine inspiration of writing as well as what laboriously hard work it is. . . . As a preacher, I can testify that this stimulating spirit-filled collection will do significantly more for my midweek writer's block than that fourth cup of coffee ever did." Scott Cairns author of Compass of Affection "Offers an important and wise appreciation of the keenly relational, essentially dialogic practice that is the writer's life. With these matters in mind, writers of any genre will be better equipped for that discipline, and for entering into and participating in the long conversation we call literature." John Wilson editor of Books & Culture "The anthologist's art is underappreciated nowadays, though 'curators' get better press. Whatever term is used to describe the work done in gathering this collection of prayers for writers, all of us who live by attending to words should be thankful to Gary Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney. They've given us a book that effortlessly encompasses John Donne and John Berryman, Madeleine L'Engle and the Venerable Bede - a choir we're invited to join in praise, lament, and wonder."