When someone is starting out with something new, it’s good to do the proper research.

if you want to be a photographer, you can learn a lot from observing the work of great photographers.

If you want to be an artist, it pays to study the techniques other artists employ.

If you want to be a writer, you read.  And write, of course. In fact, I believe Stephen King already famously made this statement.

It only makes sense that if I want to write a memoir, I should read other memoirs. Especially those that are top sellers.

I have received multiple recommendations for books written by Ann Lamott. She appears to have a lot of fans, so it seemed logical. A friend even gave me a copy of Bird by Bird. I started reading it about a year ago but couldn’t bring myself to finish it.

I’m now forcing myself to complete Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith.

It makes me sad. Because truth be told, I just don’t like Ann Lamott’s books. Reviews for several of those books commonly use the adjective “irreverent”, and I wholeheartedly concur. Her Christianity is so unbelievably different from mine, and I don’t understand it. We are commanded all over in the Bible to fear God, which many believe translates less as being afraid but more as displaying reverent awe toward Him. I just can’t find any of that reverence or awe in her writing.

She enjoys the “f” bomb, as does her young son.  I know it’s become popular to display the phrase “I’m a Christian but I cuss a little” on such things as t-shirts, towels, etc., but I just don’t feel comfortable making sin a light thing to joke about. It’s one thing to pop out a swear word in anger occasionally, but it’s a completely different to essentially say I’m just going to keep on doing it. Where is repentance?

There are several instances of her using God’s name in vain and even once, the name of Jesus as a swear word.

She frequently refers to God as “He or She”. Nowhere did the writers of the Bible refer to God as She. I understand He is Spirit, but Colossians 1:15 specifically states that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. I hate to break it to her, but Jesus was not a she.

I get the impression she believes many are going to heaven who don’t even claim to be Christians.

She seems a bit hostile toward, as she calls them, “pro-lifers”.  

These are just a few of the issues I struggle to get past.

What is it about this that makes me sad? If the type of writing that she does is what people want to read, what hope is there for me and my book?