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Only as Good as Your Word: Writing Lessons from My Favorite Literary Gurus

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Susan Shapiro's highly entertaining as well as helpful memoir details both her writing career and her complex, sometimes tumultuous relationships with a series of mentors. She starts out sharing her youthful, high school ambition, which is nurtured by her literature teacher Jack Zucker. Right away, the contrast between Zucker and her family, especially her father, is made clear, and this ongoing split is alluded to throughout the book; clearly, Shapiro's mentors gave her something her family of origin was unable to.

In smart, lively prose, Shapiro chronicles her move from dedicated poet to book reviewer, interviewer, article writer and finally memoirist. She forms several intense friendships with writers and others who captivate her, and it's these outsize personalities, varied, quirky, unusual, and each in a different stage of life, career and genre, that make this such an interesting read. Shapiro makes no bones about not always having an easy relationship with her mentors, including their disagreements and squabbles, and in the chapter on Howard Fast, she airs some family history that some might consider dirty laundry. Yet she also details a relationship built on respect for the written word, showing how she got to know this renowned member of her family as one writer to another. She sends him her work and basks in his praise, but also has her own strong opinions about which of his books are best.

One of the best things about the book is how Shapiro shows, often in a subtle but still clear way, how her mentors were just as affected by their relationships with her as she was by them. It's not a one-sided "This is what I know" relationship; she argues with her mentors, cajoles them, and tangles with them. Even her premise that each mentor told her some essential lie shows that wise students can see the flaws of their mentors. She doesn't shy away from stating where she believes her mentors erred or where they may have hurt her, though throughout the book it's clear that Shapiro reveres each of her mentors in her own way, writing about not just what they did for her, but how they impacted the world via their work and example.

Some of the best chapters, such as the juicy one on her cousin Howard Fast, and the remarkable 95-year-old Ruth Gruber, portray highly iconoclastic, often stubborn, writers who are set in their ways and don't necessarily want to change (though Gruber's addition to Shapiro's writing workshop is clearly a bonus for everyone involved). The soup kitchen chapter, ostensibly about Ian Frazier but really about the people Shapiro met while teaching at a soup kitchen, is also powerful and shows the many reasons, aside from simply getting published, people have for turning to writing. There, Shapiro writes that "writing was a way of taking the worst things in life and turning them into the most beautiful," and that's literally the case in this moving chapter.

Shapiro mixes memoir and her own writing ups and downs with the lessons her mentors imparted and bits of advice for other writers. She also takes us on a tour of literary New York, going inside the New Yorker and into the mechanics of running a weekly workshop, as well as some of the workings of the New York Times Book Review and the world of book reviewing generally. Her parting words on "How To Be a Protégé" take a real-life example of a woman coming to Shapiro for advice and breaks down the dos and don't's one needs to find a mentor like the fine ones Shapiro has cultivated.

Susan Shapiro's engrossing memoir about the mentoring relationship is a welcome addition to my shelves of books on writing. Though it doesn't detail much new writing advice, I welcome the same ole words repackaged. The writing life is so solitary and replete with godawful voices telling me how bad my writing is that I need to hear again that determination, willingness and turning in assignments error-free and on time will get me farther than anything.

Beyond the gossipy name-dropping (which I love) is a deeper analysis of Shapiro's relationships with her mentors. She goes beyond recounting their courtship and the writing lessons she learned from them. She also exposes their flaws and describes how their relationships evolved from a student at the feet of the master to two humans walking together, not always gracefully.

Shapiro is gutsy and it seems nothing is sacred. Neither her secrets nor her subjects are safe. Still, I read this memoir, the first of hers I've read, as if I were her student, studying at the feet of a master who's been there, still doing that. Highly recommended for any writer.

I was in Borders book store recently and was delightfully surprised to be there when Susan Shapiro spoke about her new book. I especially liked the question and answer period and wished that I could have had a CD of it to pass on to a friends daughter, a young, aspiring and gifted writer. After reading Susan's book, I can say that this is not only a book for my friends daughter or others like her, but for all writers hopeful of being published. Susan's story is a compliment to the American work ethic, and the possibilities of fulfilling ones dreams in this great country of ours. Her book displays this, and also is a guide for all of us to follow as a mentor, a giver and a doer in all walks of life, not just in writing. She, being part of a writing and publishing program in a New York City soup kitchen was so inspiring for me, that I want to pass the idea on for the down and out to tell their story, and you can do the same. We all have something to say, and Susan shows us the way to find those that will listen. After reading her book, I now consider myself a student of hers. So when asked for my writing credentials , I'll say, "I'm a student of Susan Shapiro". WOW! And if your a romantic as I am, then you'll love this books flavor and fall in love with its Susan the heroine, wearing her motorcycle jacket, sweatshirt, ripped jeans and cowboy boots. Not only is she a talented writer, but see the photo of her on the back cover of her book about neurotic men and you'll see that she's a "Real Betty", meaning, a "Real Beauty", as mentioned in the film "Clueless". The film will also give a clue of how life was for her while growing up in the opulent Bloomfield Hills area of MI. She's a herione trying to make a big difference in her own little way. A woman to die for, if you know what I mean. And as the song go's by the Chi Lites, "Have You Seen Her, Have You Seen Her-r-r?" I plan on reading all of Susan's books and the books of the authors that she has mentioned. (Bernard has written articles on, "Continual Improvement" in his field and is probably known throughout the world in this area due to them. He is a hot rodder of North Woodward fame, and who's car, a 1957 Hemi Powered Plymouth, was used to advertise the Internationally known,"Woodward Dream Cruise"(96) on local TV. He has also written articles for Cruis' News Magazine about his drag racing experiences, on Woodward.)

Sue Shapiro is not afraid to divulge her most intimate experiences in order to get her story across. Each chapter is a standalone short story about paths Sue walked to be an accomplished author. She give no illusions of grandeur, but hard realities. She shares numerous important lessons, like you don't write to gain money or fame but because you have an important story that must be told; a plumber never gets plumber's block--don't allow yourself to be self-indulgent, just go to work; writing is a trade, get busy and do it; and keep on trying "no never means no". Sue shares experiences on being mentored and many truths, such as maybe some mentors try to save you from making the mistakes they made. Sue learned the value of writing as among others a way of organising experience and defying loss. She cautions and give advice, such as show your draft to a few critics, before handing it in. Sue facilitated a writers group for several years and points out that each little triumph galvanised the group to try harder. About her teaching she observed students walking taller, gained confidence, quit jobs hated, go into therapy and tried an internship that resulted in career advancement. Every aspiring author should read `only as good as your word'.

This is a peek into the realm of a professional writer. It's a world totally foreign to me, yet I felt like Shapiro took my hand and escorted me to classrooms, offices, and get-togethers to personally introduce me to the people, process and protocol.

I'm still scratching my head wondering how she could write so forthrightly about the most important people in her life with no apparent worry that they'd disown her or get furious with her for exposing their vulnerabilities. She doesn't hold back. That level of chutzpah takes true bravery and honesty. Her willingness to lay her soul open for inspection is what gives the book value. More than a technical how-to-publish-a-story book, it's a chronicle of her professional and personal growth, showing how she attained the competence and confidence necessary to become a success in the publishing world.

Reading it left me wanting to ignore my usual responsibilities in favor of sitting at my computer all day trying to pound out something worth reading. Whether I can remains to be seen, but getting motivated is 90% of the battle. If you're someone who always wondered if you could be a writer, this will give you the shove off the couch and into the desk chair to see if you have what it takes.

I couldn't put it down.

Susan candidly recounts her daunting, disastrous and finally successful attempts at breaking into the "book world," while chronicling her capricious platonic-love affairs with her writing mentors (who are some of the most infamous literary players of our time). I appreciate Susan's voice; her diction is impeccable, yet I do not feel as though I am reading an academic paper outlining grammar rules. She not only tells her story, but she also invites the reader to a peep show exposing the publication process.

I learned a tremendous amount of information about publications and realized a few of my writing weaknesses. As an aspiring novelist, I look forward to purchasing her other books for my library!

I really loved how Shapiro brought the reader into the inner sphere of her relationship with and truthful feelings about each of her mentors. One clearly does not have to be in the literary field to thoroughly enjoy and benefit from her work. I continue to find many gems of "life wisdom" in her writing.

Despite being criticized for name-dropping, chick-lit voice, and self-absorption which are valid points and completely dependant upon a reader's perspective, _Only as good as your word_ was fast-paced, fun to read, and insightful. There were lessons shared. Perhaps, like anything, your general attitude may indicate whether you'll like a book.

Shapiro's wit, humor, verve are fabulous, infectious, even. Her storytelling is wonderful. The situations she describes are well-explicated. Shapiro paints a picture for those on the outside looking in, especially if geographically-isolated readers don't have access to writing groups, "Oh, this is what it's like to have writing groups? This is what it's like to know published authors? This is what it's like to live near NYC, the capital of everything?" Yes, it was eye-opening. If you live near NYC and have a certain background and certain connections, you might have more success than someone toiling over her words in outer Mongolia, but, we already knew that's how the world works anyway.

Shapiro illustrates the types of relationships writers may have with a mentor. Understanding the variety, breadth, depth, and importance of such relationships is invaluable and I'm indebted to Shapiro for sharing the dynamics of hers with me. While there are overt lessons in the back of the book about how to find a writing mentor, how to cultivate a relationship, etc., if you read between the entirety of her lines, you find the covert lessons as well.

Anyone who enjoys an insider's view of the publishing world or writing circles will delight in Shapiro's book.

For me this book redefined the word "mentor", which I always thought was someone who took you under their wing and then never left your side for eternity. "Only as Good as Your Word" showed me that mentors can be people who step in briefly for guidance, then move out of the way. Another will step in for the next phase of assistance. I never realized I had had so many mentors until I read this book. Each of the author's mentors unveiled for her a different aspect of publishing, the writing life, or how to get to the next level. She generously shares with us what she learned and how she was able to spin it into gold. As well as giving writers a peek into publishing, the book also shows what it is like to make it as a writer in New York. The author reveals that it's difficult, but doable, if you are open to listening to those who've come before you. You also need the drive to succeed, which the author has in spades. By the end, you will feel as though Susan Shapiro is your mentor.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. While it doesn't give step-by-step instructions on how to make it as a writer, Only As Good As Your Word does give insight into the personalities that have shaped Shapiro's journey as a writer, and this has made for an interesting read. In engrossing, cogent paragraphs, Shapiro tells the story of the magisterial figures who helped her reach the top of her field. The characters described in the book are exquisitely drawn and will be familiar to anyone who has spent time in the publishing world. I especially like the stories about her time as an underling at the New Yorker magazine, as I've always wondered what this institution was like from the inside. Many of the situations described in the book are funny, some are dark, and it's a good blend. The anecdotes are full of the kinds of the kinds of situations that inspire great writing, so aspiring writers will enjoy these passages. The book is very readable, and as such, the proof that her mentors have done their work well is in the fact that the book is such a page-turner.