Based on her lauded commencement address at Sarah Lawrence College, this stirring essay by bestselling author Ann Patchett offers hope and insp... read full description
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Mar 28, 2009
Kieran
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Not particularly Rocket Science but nice to read something assuring by an author that I've liked for years. Typically I don't take much interest in Commencement Speeches (though I did really enjoy watching Barbara Kinsolver's speech at Duke) but there's something rather refreshingly positive about telling students to seize the day, enjoy the undecidedeness of decision making and to savor youth and its (almost)career innocence. It probably wasn't something I'd have run out to buy but a friend gav
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Jul 12, 2008
Lauren
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I really enjoyed this speech-turned-essay. So many wonderful morsels of wisdom to "chew on". She shares a few personal anecdotes, but does not make the speech about herself. It is inspiring and contemplative, encouraging her audience to look inward for happiness; and then sharing it with the world.
Because it was a commencement speech that she have at her alma mater, it is almost guaranteed that it will remind you of your college/university days. Unfortunately, I don't More...
Because it was a commencement speech that she have at her alma mater, it is almost guaranteed that it will remind you of your college/university days. Unfortunately, I don't More...
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Jan 22, 2012
Courtney
rated it:
An uplifting and encouraging book for recent-grads. Some of my favorite passages:
"Sometimes the circumstances at hand force us to be braver than we actually are, and so we knock on doors and ask for assistance." pg.20
"It was for me the start of a lesson that I never stop having to learn: to pay attention to the things I'll probably never need to know, to listen carefully to the people who look as if they have nothing to teach me, to see school as something that goes on e More...
"Sometimes the circumstances at hand force us to be braver than we actually are, and so we knock on doors and ask for assistance." pg.20
"It was for me the start of a lesson that I never stop having to learn: to pay attention to the things I'll probably never need to know, to listen carefully to the people who look as if they have nothing to teach me, to see school as something that goes on e More...
Jan 02, 2012
Heather
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A great way to start 2012.
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Ann Patchett's writing in Bel Canto, and I am excited to rediscover her and plan to read several of her novels this year.
"What Now?" is a short Commencement Address that she gave at her alma mater - Sarah Lawrence.
It is full of good advice for anyone.
My favorite passages:
"And sometimes, we don't realize what we've learned until we've already known it for a v More...
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Ann Patchett's writing in Bel Canto, and I am excited to rediscover her and plan to read several of her novels this year.
"What Now?" is a short Commencement Address that she gave at her alma mater - Sarah Lawrence.
It is full of good advice for anyone.
My favorite passages:
"And sometimes, we don't realize what we've learned until we've already known it for a v More...
Dec 14, 2011
Cynthia
rated it: 
I liked what Ann Patchett has to say very much. I am giving my copy to a young person graduating this week from a "second-chance" military-style program with his GED. He is struggling mightily with "What now?" I highlighted several places in my copy where I want the recipient to pay attention -- phrases that I think will comfort if not instruct him.
What I did not like about this book is the way it is put together. Apparently Patchett's text alone, even double-space More...
What I did not like about this book is the way it is put together. Apparently Patchett's text alone, even double-space More...
Jul 09, 2011
Ahf
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Commencement address by Ann Patchet I just read. Its name was What Now? One of the most original points she made was that her education in Catholic school (which she hated at the time and derided as irrelevant and useful for many years after) actually gave her the gift of following. She points out that much of life is about teaching us to lead, but that few are actually called to lead. One General to thousands of Privates.... Following happily, being "good at following" is a bless
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Dec 19, 2008
Ruby
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(Essay)-What now? Good question. One I have been asking myself since my junior year in high school. I've never felt very good at finding the answer. Once I married and had children, I felt it was answered for a good, long time but now that three of mine are young adults and I only have a very responsible 12-year-old at home, I'm back to "What now?" again. Unfortunately, despite all my life experience, I don't have any clearer answers than I had in high school. Patchetts' ponderin
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Feb 03, 2012
Heather
rated it:
This is a short read with many great nuggets:
Two excerpts:
Sometimes the best we can hope for is to be graceful and brave in the face of all the changes that will surely come. It also helps to have a sense of humor about your own fate, to not think that you alone are blessed when good fortune comes your way, or cursed when it passes you by. It helps if you can realize that this part of life when you don’t know what’s coming next is often the part that people look back on with the gre More...
Two excerpts:
Sometimes the best we can hope for is to be graceful and brave in the face of all the changes that will surely come. It also helps to have a sense of humor about your own fate, to not think that you alone are blessed when good fortune comes your way, or cursed when it passes you by. It helps if you can realize that this part of life when you don’t know what’s coming next is often the part that people look back on with the gre More...
Dec 15, 2011
Erica
rated it:
Thoroughly enjoyed it! It is an expanded version of a commencement address Patchett gave at her alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College. Speaks to the gathering of knowledge as being about paying attention, no matter what, no matter where. Some wonderful stories about her days as a student, including one in which, as a freshman, she showed up on the doorstep of (unbeknownst to her) the college president with a pan of unbaked cookies in search of a working oven. A tender text, one I perhaps appr
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Jan 30, 2012
Patricia
rated it:
Friend Kelly hooked me up with this book!
Five stars for the text, which was an adaptation of a graduation speech Patchett gave at her alma mater. You might think that you don't want to read a graduation speech, but you would be wrong. There is great imagery in this writing.
Two stars for the copious amounts of photos inserted into the text. I understand that they were fleshing things out, but I could have done with out the double turning of pages necessitated by two page photo More...
Five stars for the text, which was an adaptation of a graduation speech Patchett gave at her alma mater. You might think that you don't want to read a graduation speech, but you would be wrong. There is great imagery in this writing.
Two stars for the copious amounts of photos inserted into the text. I understand that they were fleshing things out, but I could have done with out the double turning of pages necessitated by two page photo More...
Jul 19, 2009
george
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In some ways a typical commencement speech, What Now? is also a little different. It's kind of nice to actually read a commencement speech since I could never really pay attention to the ones at my own graduations (too much excitement), and others' I attended...well, I really didn't care. There were a few parts that really struck me now that I don't think really would have struck the intended audience at the time (it's an age thing). There were several funny incidents and overall a very nice spe
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Jul 24, 2009
Debbie (Readerbuzz)
rated it:
Ann Patchett gave a commencement speech at Sarah Lawrence College that was so widely regarded that it ended up as this book.
I liked this part: “The secret is finding the balance between going out to get what you want and being open to the thing that actually winds up coming your way. What now is not just a panic-stricken question tossed out into a dark unknown. What now can also be our joy. It is a declaration of possibility, of promise, of chance. It acknowledges that our future is More...
I liked this part: “The secret is finding the balance between going out to get what you want and being open to the thing that actually winds up coming your way. What now is not just a panic-stricken question tossed out into a dark unknown. What now can also be our joy. It is a declaration of possibility, of promise, of chance. It acknowledges that our future is More...
Mar 08, 2010
Robin
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This slim little book is based an a commencement speech Ann Patchett gave to her alma mater Sarah Lawrence College. It is basically an essay exploring the age old question: "What do I do with my life?"
I enjoyed learning more about how Patchett became a writer. There is some overlap with the stories she shared in her book Truth & Beauty, but I still enjoyed learning more about her background. This book would be perfect for a graduation gift. I wish there was a different version of More...
I enjoyed learning more about how Patchett became a writer. There is some overlap with the stories she shared in her book Truth & Beauty, but I still enjoyed learning more about her background. This book would be perfect for a graduation gift. I wish there was a different version of More...
Jan 20, 2012
Milka
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A very short but insightful read about growing up and finding your focus and purpose in the world. People always tend to ask you What now? everytime you complete a step. Ann Patchett shares her struggles for finding her path, and getting lost on the way. Not so lost though, since her personal experiences helped her become a better writer. She became a waitress after obtaining her master's degree and I can relate to her because I did the same thing! I recommend this book, since it's so short but
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Jul 06, 2011
Martha
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This is an elongated version of a commencement speech Patchett gave at Sarah Lawrence. I liked it very much. She included personal anecdotes and lots of humor, but the thing I liked best was its universality. It's not just aimed at students graduating from college, but at anyone at a crossroads or a transition in life. Like me. So it had particular relevance. And I am really good at staring, so I found it quite reassuring. Plus, you can read it in an afternoon and think about it for the r
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Oct 10, 2009
Wendy
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If you or someone you know is looking for career inspiration and hope right about now, this is the book for you. The questions “what now?” or “now what?” have often been used in association with career transition, but never as eloquently as in the new book, What now? by Ann Patchett. The book, a slightly longer version of a commencement speech she gave at her alma mater this past June, is about her own experience with facing the question of, What now? and what she learned along the way.
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Jun 08, 2009
Jen
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This book is basically Patchett's commencement address at Sarah Lawrence University, fleshed out to make a short 80-page musing about the nature of transition and choosing your own direction in life. It's a small book, almost a coffee table type book in the way it's packaged. It could be mistaken for one of those cheesy 'inspirational quotes' types of book - except it's not cheesy because it's Ann Patchett (and therefore insightful and witty and a joy to read. HELLO.)
Like I said, it' More...
Like I said, it' More...
Jul 11, 2008
Kevin
rated it:
You will recall that I am a sucker for short books. My life has become quite hectic with two small children and a job that is unpredicatable. Throw in the normal distractions and commitments to church, friends, etc. and it gets harder and harder to make the time for a long read. I still do it on occasion because I love the experience, but I also love short books that I can read in one sitting or a couple of night's bedside reading.
It is for this reason that I first picked up Wha More...
It is for this reason that I first picked up Wha More...
Dec 16, 2011
Holly
rated it:
This book is based on a commencement address the author gave at her alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College.
It would be easy to dismiss this book as a typical commencement speech. It is typical in how it details some of the pivotal events and people who influenced and changed the author's life at Sarah Lawrence and beyond. The message is typical as it questions the future and as the author asks the predictable questions such as what and who will I become?
But the book reaches More...
It would be easy to dismiss this book as a typical commencement speech. It is typical in how it details some of the pivotal events and people who influenced and changed the author's life at Sarah Lawrence and beyond. The message is typical as it questions the future and as the author asks the predictable questions such as what and who will I become?
But the book reaches More...
Mar 02, 2010
Kristi
rated it:
This short book is actually an extended graduation speech.
It was given to me as a gift at my college graduation- but I wasn't ready to read it then. A year and a half and a few temp jobs later I now read it and enjoyed it.
The best point is listen to the people around you and learn from them.
I liked reading this speech- it was a quick read and sometimes its good to remember what it is that you were told at graduation.
Thanks for the book Ben and Su
It was given to me as a gift at my college graduation- but I wasn't ready to read it then. A year and a half and a few temp jobs later I now read it and enjoyed it.
The best point is listen to the people around you and learn from them.
I liked reading this speech- it was a quick read and sometimes its good to remember what it is that you were told at graduation.
Thanks for the book Ben and Su
Feb 06, 2010
Judith
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What Now by Ann Patchett is just the right book for anyone who is young or remembers ever having been young! Seriously, Patchett's 2006 commencement address at Sarah Lawrence College, slightly expanded here, speaks warmly to everyone about life and change, about expectations and experiences, all in a direct personal tone, but with universal appeal. Even if you are not considering your next step just now, this short (112 pages) chat with Ms. Patchett will be worth your time.
Jan 13, 2011
Ried
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This was a great quick read. Not what I was expecting, but really a perfect speech with lots of good messages for all of us at any stage in our life. I especially loved the line about not knowing what job is really going to help you get where you are going and that "working at Fridays was what made her a novelist." I have since talked about this with other who have read it and loved hearing what they got out of it as well. A perfect gift to anyone and all!
Feb 28, 2011
Magdalena
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For some reason, I wanted to re-live a graduation speech which would replace the void of a missing graduation speech in my memory bank. My undergraduate graduation bears no particular significance in terms of its speakers, although the day itself was rather memorable. Ann Patchett offered a bit of her life experience to show us how to keep the doors to our souls a bit open, letting the breeze have its way into our lives.
Mar 01, 2009
F
rated it: 
Ann Patchett became one of my favorite authors after reading Bel Canto.
This essay recounted her own personal cross-roads and where she found her education for writing....I gave this two stars because the lessons were not anything new, and at times the language was just a bit too flowery for me but I'm sure it was fine as a commencement speech.
I will say that I did like her point on staring, and the countless hours writers just spend staring....
-F
This essay recounted her own personal cross-roads and where she found her education for writing....I gave this two stars because the lessons were not anything new, and at times the language was just a bit too flowery for me but I'm sure it was fine as a commencement speech.
I will say that I did like her point on staring, and the countless hours writers just spend staring....
-F
Apr 02, 2009
Lisa
rated it:
I love Ann Patchett and really enjoyed this short, easy read. While based on Patchett's Sarah Lawrence commencement address, it certainly resonated with me, someone who graduated from college 25+ years ago. The generic photos in the book and cheesy "self help"-ish production, on the other hand, were detractions. Clearly it's being marketed as a "graduation gift" item. It deserves to be much more.
Dec 15, 2008
Jenna
rated it:
I read this book in about twenty minutes. It is akin to a speech you might here at a graduation (actually, it was a graduation speech); inspirational while you're reading, but not particularly deep. I wanted to read the speech she originally prepared but her professor of decades earlier told her to throw it out and start over; it sounded like it had much more substance.
Dec 30, 2011
Melana
rated it:
I'm not usually big on motivational reads, but Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors and when I found this slim volume in the stacks I picked it up. It is just so true. The entire book is wonderfully insightful, but the last two pages really hit home with me. I wish that more of us could see the world as she advises and apply her advice to our everyday interactions.
Apr 09, 2011
Diane
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Lovely little book by a favorite writer. Ann Patchett based it on a commencement speech that she gave at Sarah Lawrence. It's a great graduation gift for the college grad. Also a sweet gift for anyone in any transition.
My favorite line: "Receiving an education is a little bit like a garden snake swallowing a chicken egg: it's in you but it takes a while to digest."
My favorite line: "Receiving an education is a little bit like a garden snake swallowing a chicken egg: it's in you but it takes a while to digest."
Aug 16, 2009
Emily
rated it:
This definitely would be a great commencement address to hear. It's still fun to read, but not as great as her novels. It does provide more insight into her educational experiences and herself as an author, which adds more to my experience as one of her readers. I am also excited that I was able to purchase a signed first edition of What Now? at Moes on Telegraph!
Feb 13, 2010
Scott
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I was expecting something a bit more profound than the ideas shared here: remaining humble, avoiding prejudice, the value of observation etc. I was a bit troubled by some of the ideals she holds up for an audience of predominately gifted young women. Do women still need to be reminded of the lessons to be learned from waiting tables?
