Book Review: Writing as a Path to Healing

 

In reference to The Write Spot:  Writing as a Path to Healing, author, Elizabeth Beechwood, said“The contributing writers delve into the pain of their past, reveal their vulnerabilities, and share the lessons they’ve learned with all of us. Their courage is written on every page of this collection.” 

After reading my contributor’s copy of editor, Marlene Cullen’s newest anthology, I am in full agreement with Ms. Beechwood. Especially the last sentence regarding courage written on every page. It is not easy to write about traumatic events, but twenty-one people have done so and were willing to share stories and poems with readers.

The writers come from various walks of life and offer readers a look into difficult times they experienced at some point. These writers all used writing as a step on their path to healing and to offer support to others. Some who write about troubled parts of their life are not willing to share what they write with others. We are fortunate that the writers in Ms. Cullen's anthology are willing to do so. 

Each writer added a writing prompt that fits with their story or poem, a short bio, and an answer to this question posed by the editor:  What scares you about writing? I found their answers interesting, revealing, and comforting.

A Resources section is a second part of the book. Those several pages were of interest to me as a writer, but anyone wanting to write about a difficult time in their life would benefit from reading this section. The sections include Freewrites, Self-Care when Writing about Difficult Situations, Seven Calming Techniques, and a group of Activities to Recharge and Refresh. 

The final section is titled Recommended Books—ones the editor found helpful on her own ‘healing journey.’ 

This is a book that I know I will read more than once, parts of it or the entire anthology. People who are on their own ‘healing journey’ or know someone who is will find this book of great interest and a guide to how writing can be real assistance—perhaps enough to spur their own writing. 

The book is the sixth in a series and can be purchased at Amazon.