Book Review

Families Writing by Peter R. Stillman, 1989

Peter R. Stillman wrote this book because he knows writing “to be a powerfully good thing to do over a lifetime.” He also believes that, although most people are reluctant writers at best, words could and should be valued family treasures. Stillman declares that writing should be at the heart of a family and he sets out to tell us why and how to do this.

The book is written in a folksy, casual manner. The author includes many of his own writings as examples, and his voice and personality come through - wise, humorous and comfortable. Stillman invites the reader into his world of words, enticing them to linger awhile, long enough to be excited and inspired as writers, too.

Families Writing is meant to be used in families and its ideas encompass writers of all ages. Although I agree with Stillman that it is best used to get families writing, it can also be used to inspire individual writing. I think it is a valuable book for teachers as well - both to inspire writing ideas in the classroom and to include on a “parent resource” book shelf for check-out.

In the chapter entitled “Why Write?” Stillman talks about writing to learn (both academically and personally), writing to stay connected across time and space, writing to remember, and writing to find out. As a writer I appreciate his very good and unique list of writing prompts, also included in this chapter. In one exercise for instance, he asks the writer to draw a quick floor plan of the first house she can remember inhabiting. Then, without a lot of thinking, scribble down words and associations that come to mind, jumping from room to room. Next, circle the words that are intriguing to you, possibly linking some ideas together, choose a thought and start writing. Other interesting and intriguing prompts are: list the ten most important dates in your life and write about one or two, and “jot down five decisions you’ve been putting off and write your way into making one of them.”

In another chapter, “Journals and Journaling,” Stillman writes: “If writing had an essence, a pure form, it would for me be most observable in the act of making an entry in a journal.” Journals are personal, unself-conscious and imperfect. They are useful for developing your powers of observation and your writing skills. In a journal one may record one’s life and process thoughts and decisions. As an added benefit, adult journal writing is an excellent way to model the importance of writing to children. Journals can take many forms. For instance, family journals can be circulated among family members (round robin) to record shared experiences and a special journal can be kept at the family cabin to capture the memories and ideas that surround that place.

Other chapters in the book are “Letters,” “Stories -- Of, By and For the Family,” “Poetry,” and “Equipping a Place For Writers to Write.” One of my favorite chapters is “Words as Gifts,” because this is something I value; words can be much more meaningful than material gifts. Gifts of words can be a letter, poem, story or card. Words could also be put into a book such as a book of family recipes or a book of memories about family pets.

Families Writing is a book that was first introduced to me ten years ago. I loved it, but I’m sorry to say that the ideas did not “stick” at the time. I have been wanting to reread it for some time so I borrowed it from a home schooling friend as one of my books to review for this class. It seems like the perfect time to read this book, just as I am completing my weeks in the Oregon Writing Project. I am a newly inspired writer and this book gives me some exciting and accessible directions in which to journey. I only wish my own children were still young so it would have more of a chance of impacting their writing lives, too, as Stillman intended. However, I still have my kindergarten students to mold and inspire, and maybe my future grandkids will grow up with pens and journals in their hands and lives.