Why Writing Matters
by Nicholas Delbanco
Yale University Press

Nonfiction (Adult)

Pub Date 17 Mar 2020


I am reviewing a copy of Why Writing Matters through Yale University Press and Netgalley:


Writing matters, but why does it matter?


Nicole’s Delbanco reminds us that “So somewhere in some distant place and time some someone made a mark on stone or wood or ice or clay or sand and somebody else understood it and the process of writing began.”


This book is the newest in Yale University Press Why X Matters series. Distinguished writer and scholar Nicholas Delbanco tackles important questions about the discipline of writing. Delbanco draws from his own experiences with mentors, John Updike, John Gardener, and James Baldwin. Delbanco in turn went on to teach such rising stars such as Jesmyn Ward. The author focuses on questions of influence and the contradiction that simultaneously moves us towards imitation, but also originality. A contradiction in itself.



Why Writing Matters is part memoir, part literary history, as well as part analysis. This unique book will resonate with students, writers, writing teachers, and bibliophiles.


I give Why Writing Matters five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

A wonderful guide to the craft of writing and also an intimate look at the authors mentors .The authors who helped guide him shared with him make this a very interesting read.#netgalley#yaleuniversityress

Here are my pros and cons about this book. Pros: The author describes his own experiences on writing and what he has gone through. I picked it because I hope to write my own book some day. Cons: I felt like I was reading a term paper in a way because there were alot of references and things I didn't understand. That is my only con though. All in all It's not a bad book. i give it four stars. Thank you netgalley, the author ,and publishers for allowing me to read this. I do recommend this book for anyone that is interested in writing

I truly want to hate this book, not because it is not insightful but because as as Writer and Reader, I've finally read a book that the author focuses not only on the craft of writing but shares personal insights of how he was inspired and mentored by other writers.
Nine chapters and each one builds upon most the questions and clarifications that writers seek- I'm all the way in Kenya and could relate to this book, that's how much of an impact it had on me.
I started reading it as a potential reviewer then took a step back and went back to the beginning to read it as a Writer and can I say that chapter 2 on Imitation was such a gem!
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC. I see this is a must read and it could be well added to any writing program- more so because of the author's insights on the focus of workshops.