Customer Reviews

A Walk Between Heaven and Earth: A Personal Journal on Writing and the Creative Process

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A Walk Between Heaven and Earth is a great book not only for creative writers, but for everyone who wants to lead a more satisfying life. Holzer's journal entries transmit a deep understanding of what it means to be a writer and what it means to be fully alive. I felt gently and powerfully guided by her personal life experiences to break away from the analytical rules that have kept me from writing what really moves me. And my own writing process has become ten times more exciting than it ever was in years of college classes and work as a magazine editor. This book has helped me embrace my own pain and joy in a way I had never considered.

Who would've thought to write a book about the journaling process in a journal format? Duh! Full of epiphany after epiphany and lovely contemplation.

Nina Holzer writes a beautiful day-by-day story in this journal. She is inspiring, honest, and provocative. It's hard not to underline every other line because her words cut to the truth and invite remembering. "A Walk Between Heaven and Earth" is a must read for everyone engaged in a creative life. It will keep you going.
Julie Maloney, Director
WOMEN READING ALOUD
New Jersey

I have read and used this book for years and I finally bought a second copy. I teach journal writing to people living with cancer and almost weekly i read a passage from this little gem from which the group writes. It is not only about journal writing, but more importantly, how to live, how to notice and be present to your life each day and how to make each moment count. She describes journal writing as both a contemplative practice as well as an exploration in creativity and a journey towards the self. I think that this is the most important journal writing book i have ever read.

I love journalling books and have a wide collection of them. This is the first one I have started but been unable to finish. I felt really disappointed after reading the glowing reviews for this book on the website - but I'm afraid I just don't get it. The "entries", which I feel were very contrived, taught me nothing and sometimes seemed so forced and self conscious that I found myself scoffing at them. Ms Holzer herself says that she kept another journal whilst writing this one - I think it was that fact that made me realise what a contrived thing the "journalling journal" was. We would have been better served if she had published extracts from her "real" journal, as there are definate signs of her being a fine writer. The only true to life parts of the book were when she was talking about the tragic death of her brother - and even then, you felt that the real story of her loss was being recorded somewhere else.
I'm sorry if it's just me who doesn't understand what the author is trying to do here, but I got the impression that she wasn't very clear herself of what she expected the outcome to be.