Life Path

Diary of a somebody

LIFE PATH
Personal and Spiritual Growth through Journal Writing
By Luci Shaw
Christina Press. 122 pages. £5.99
ISBN 1 901387 04 6

Should the title and subtitle of this book have appealed to you in any way, big or small, I do not think you will regret reading or even buying it.
This short paperback, which can be read in an afternoon, is the work of an American author who is both a writer and a poet. She teaches creative writing to adults in America, and this includes journal workshops, which she leads. As a result of these, her own experience of journal keeping, and extensive reading on the matter, she has come up with many helpful thoughts and insights, covering not only the why's, how's and where's of journal writing, but also the pros and cons. This book contains many suggestions on different aspects of journal keeping, examples from and experiences of other journal writers, practical exercises for the reader to try, and hints at overcoming obstacles to journal writing.
The style of this book is rather American (obviously?). Her poet status is also reflected in her style, and in the chapter entitled 'Growing with God through your Journal', the floweriness became a little too much for me. I can sincerely recommend the chapter on 'Dealing with your difficulties' as excellent and very helpful for counsellors and those who benefit from counselling.
A final word on the presentation of this paperback: it is full of relevant and interesting quotes which intersperse the prose. I find this layout seems to be becoming increasingly more popular in Christian literature of this sort, yet it can be quite disruptive to the flow of reading.
Luci Shaw states in her book: 'Journal keeping is a record of your spiritual, emotional, intellectual or artistic travelling, your personal edging closer to God, reality, true perception, and self-knowledge.' It is never too late to begin.

Personal and Spiritual Growth through Journal Writing

Diary of a somebody

Penny Fernandez