Keyes is not convinced that anxiety is a bad thing. He documents so much fear experienced by so many writers — from E.B. White to Gail Godwin — that fear emerges as a given. The trick is to manage it and reap its energy.
New York Times
He lists the many reasons writers have been afraid, from fear of falling short of their ideals to anxiety about self-exposure. … Having made the game of writing sound like a descent into hell, he sets out in the second half of his primer to teach the prospective writer how to overcome fear.
Antioch Review
Keyes explores inner struggles that grad schools, conferences, and craft books usually ignore … [an] intimate examination of the writing mind …
Library Journal
Highly recommended for anyone who writes, wants to write, or is taking a writing course.
The Wonderful World of Nothing Worthwhile
the laughorist said… Speaking of obesity, as I just told Meloncutter, I heard a radio report saying the obesity of Americans is, well, growing. We’re getting phatter, or at least fatter. And something like 7 of the 8 top-fat states be in the South. Jump on dat, folks. (You could look it up, as Casey …
Quotations on Education
refer you to a new book out in paperback: The Quote Verifier by Ralph Keyes; you’ll be surprised how many quotations are misattributed. It’s very entertaining.