“I affectionately refer to my writer’s-little-helper as ‘the green book,’ but it’s actually called The Modern Library’s Writer’s Workshop. I’ve gifted this wonder of a book, which is less a writing manual and more of a spirit guide,
to many of my writer friends and they’ve all been equally captivated and enriched by the author’s wise, old soul voice. Written by Stephen Koch, former chair of Columbia University’s graduate writing program, the book details the writing experiences of many of the greats—from Gustave Flaubert’s one-draft manuscripts to Philip Roth’s constant redrafting and tinkering style—in an effort to galvanize your own process. This book made me feel so much less alone and aided me through the darkest moments of writing Brain on Fire. In short, Stephen Koch is my hero.”
—Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire (Free Press, 2012)