Letters To A Young Poet

My book recommendation is specificto the budding young authors out there. I was writing stories and poems inelementary and high school. In college I continued in the Creative StudiesDepartment at the University of California Santa Barbara. The writingprogram there was fantastic and inspiring. One of the books I discoveredin college and still read year to year is "Letters To A Young Poet" byRainer Maria Rilke.Rilke was great German poet who was born in 1875. He is work is renownedfor it's sensitivity and dealings with the inner workings of humanemotion. Much like a lyric driven rock star, many of his fans wrote himletters asking him life questions and further understandings of themeaning of his work. From 1903 to 1908 he wrote a series of letters to awould-be poet who wrote to ask if he should pursue writing. Rilke'sresponses are amazing and inspiring and really chronicle what it's like tobe a sensitive observer in the real world. This is one of those books Iuse when I'm feeling as though I'm not living up to my potential or if Ijust not good enough. Its a real quick read and barely 100 pages butreally hits home for those creative souls out there. The message hedelivers can be universally applied to every creative endeavor. I highlysuggest you pick this up for a great summer read.

(originally posted at: One Take Rants)