Anthology for Creative Writers, An: A Garden of Forking Paths

by Beth Anstandig, Eric Killough

For courses in creative writing. A Garden of Forking Paths is an anthology of contemporary literature that covers the full spectrum of genre possibilities while exploring diverse styles, themes, experiences, and forms. The readings in this text inspire the emergence of innovative creative writing. In a multi-genre creative writing course, an instructor faces the dilemma of assigning several texts in order to offer good examples of writing in each genre. This text solves this problem by presenting large samplings of creative non-fiction, short fiction, poetry, alternative forms, and essays concerning craft. Beth Anstandig and Eric Killough, guided by fiction writer, essayist, and poet Robert Creeley's belief that all writing is essentially the act of articulation and that "form is content, content form," brought together as many successful examples of creative ideas and writing styles as possible in a single volume. They grouped these writings by genre for ease of use so that you can choose how you want to spend your reading time. From science fiction writer Philip K. Dick to naturalist Charles Bowden, you will find in the garden that each author has labored to articulate at least one of the seemingly infinite possibilities that the creative spirit can bring into being. Many of the authors in the text have successfully created works of written art using more than one genre. Beth Anstandig and Eric Killough created this text in hope that these examples will inspire your students to experiment in multiple genres as well.

576 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 2006

About the author

As a life-long cowgirl, licensed psychotherapist and professor, Beth Anstandig has 25 years of experience developing, implementing and training people in Natural Leadership—a model she pioneered. She’s trained thousands of leaders and teams from some of the most renowned corporations, universities, and nonprofits, helping them awaken their innate power and awareness to live, lead and work with more authentic relationships and connection.

Beth owns Take a Chance Ranch in Morgan Hill, California providing leadership, culture and well-being programs through The Circle Up Experience. Together with an ever-growing menagerie of animals, Beth works with human herds onsite and online.

Her fresh perspective and work integrating basic animal practices into everyday human life have been featured in global media including BBC World Service, PBS, and Forbes. Beth has built a life with animals at its center so she can continue listening to the voice of her own animal, reclaiming the mammalian signal system that is alive and well within each of us. Her book is an invitation to you to do the same.