Creating a Life: The Memoir of a Writer and Mom in the Making [Paperback]

Corbin Lewars (Author), Phyllis Klaus (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2010

Corbin Lewars' memoir, Creating a Life, shares the bumpy road that led Corbin to motherhood and her career as a writer. Deformed sperm, a miscarriage, and quitting her job to become an editor only to have that publication become bankrupt were a few hurdles that she crossed along the way. But Corbin not only survives, she thrives, and is able to share her story in a heartfelt and humorous way.

"By bravely--and humorously--sharing her deepest secrets and confronting her biggest fears, Corbin Lewars makes one of the strongest arguments out there that pregnancy and childbirth aren't simply about biology doing its thing. Becoming a parent is also about figuring out where you've been and where you want to be."
Marisa Cohen, senior editor at Glamour and author of Deliver This!

"An empowering and true story. If you've created life, if you dream of creating life, if you love someone who is creating life-this is the book for you." -Ariel Gore, author of Bluebird: Women and the New Psychology of Happiness

"Lewars writes about disappointment and trauma without a trace of self-pity; her story is honest and raw, her outlook hopeful heartwarming." -Midge Raymond, author of Forgetting English.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Creating A Life is one of the most exquisite and brave memoirs I have read in years. The message of hope and dedication is universal...reaching women of all ages." -Ann Hite, Feminist Review

"...thought provoking and uplifting....for every woman who has doubted her ability to do what she really wanted to...." Hip Mama Magazine

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Catalyst Book Press (February 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980208157
• ISBN-13: 978-0980208153
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,427,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Corbin wrote her first book, The Nosy Puppy, at the age of five. She moved on from construction paper and staples to a typewriter when writing her autobiography, My Life, at the age of ten. She has continued on to author Creating a Life (Catalyst Book Press, 2010) which was nominated for the 2011 PNBA award, the mommy-lit novel Swings (out for submission) and is currently working on a divorce guidebook for women. Fortunately, she now uses a laptop.

After moving to over a dozen cities and traveling throughout Europe and Asia, she finally settled back down in the Pacific Northwest in 1993. She continued the same pattern, only this time with jobs, until she finally gave up on the 9 to 5 world and became self-employed as a writer and editor in 2001. Besides the creative element and freedom, her favorite aspect of being self-employed is being able to work in her pajamas.

She teaches creative writing and mentors other writers in Seattle, where she lives with her two children. To learn more about Corbin and her work, visit her at www.corbinlewars.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will encourage others to read this., January 4, 2010

By 

S. Martinez (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creating a Life: The Memoir of a Writer and Mom in the Making (Paperback)

I still find myself thinking of certain parts of this book and how they are relevant to something that has happenned to me or to a friend of mine.
I found myself feeling so many things again and empathizing with and envying her for her experiences as well. I also laughed out loud in several parts which for any book is a real measure of success in my opinion.
If I hadn't read this I would never have understood why women continue to choose to birth at home even when faced with so much pressure by the medical experts around them.
I will have others read this who went through trauma as teenagers who find themselves unable to figure out why they are "just now" finding the need to cope with it.
Thanks to Ms. Lewars for writing this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like chatting with an old friend . . ., January 4, 2010

By 

L. Beliveau (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creating a Life: The Memoir of a Writer and Mom in the Making (Paperback)

Corbin Lewars takes on challenging subjects in this memoir with honesty, candor, and humor. You don't have to have shared her experiences to enjoy reading about her journey, and her conversational, witty prose makes the experience feel like chatting with an old friend. This book is for anyone who has struggled to have the courage to live their life on their own terms. It's an enjoyable and inspirational read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The journey from woman to mother is surely something to behold, December 9, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creating a Life: The Memoir of a Writer and Mom in the Making (Paperback)

The journey from woman to mother is surely something to behold. "Creating a Life: The Memoir of a Writer and Mom in the Making" is Corbin Lewars' story of her pregnancy and what it taught her and how it brought about her own career. An excellent writer on the topic of motherhood, Corbin Lewars makes "Creating a Life" quite the fascinating read.