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Craft and Current: A Manual for Magical Writing
- GenresWriting
284 pages, Paperback
Published July 23, 2024
16 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Janisse Ray
42 books276 followersis an award-winning and beloved American writer. Her work encourages wild, place-centric, sustainable lives and often calls attention to heart-breaking degradations of the natural world.
She writes the popular Substack TRACKLESS WILD, tracklesswild.substack.com.
Her newsletter for writers, SPIRAL-BOUND, janisseray.substack.com.
She is a sought-after and highly praised teacher of writing. She leads both in-person and online writing workshops, including a summer memoir course online, WRITE YOUR OWN STORY.
You can find more information about workshops and courses at her website.
https://janisseray.com/product-catego...
Check out her book CRAFT & CURRENT: A MANUAL FOR MAGICAL WRITING.
Janisse has won an American Book Award, Pushcart Prize, Southern Bookseller Award, Southern Environmental Law Center Writing Award, Nautilus Award, and Eisenberg Award, among many others.
Her collection of essays, WILD SPECTACLE, won the Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence.
Her books have been translated into Turkish, French, and Italian.
Janisse's first book, ECOLOGY OF A CRACKER CHILDHOOD, recounts her experiences growing up in a junkyard, the daughter of a poor, white, fundamentalist Christian family. The book interweaves family history and memoir with natural history—specifically, descriptions of the ecology of the vanishing longleaf pine forests that once blanketed the Southern coastal plains.
ECOLOGY was followed by many other books, mostly creative nonfiction--often nature writing-- as well as poetry and fiction.
She earned an MFA from the University of Montana, has received two honorary doctorates, and was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. She has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Georgia Writer's Association.
She lives on an organic farm inland from Savannah, Georgia, where she enjoys wildflowers, dark chocolate, and the blues.
She writes the popular Substack TRACKLESS WILD, tracklesswild.substack.com.
Her newsletter for writers, SPIRAL-BOUND, janisseray.substack.com.
She is a sought-after and highly praised teacher of writing. She leads both in-person and online writing workshops, including a summer memoir course online, WRITE YOUR OWN STORY.
You can find more information about workshops and courses at her website.
https://janisseray.com/product-catego...
Check out her book CRAFT & CURRENT: A MANUAL FOR MAGICAL WRITING.
Janisse has won an American Book Award, Pushcart Prize, Southern Bookseller Award, Southern Environmental Law Center Writing Award, Nautilus Award, and Eisenberg Award, among many others.
Her collection of essays, WILD SPECTACLE, won the Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence.
Her books have been translated into Turkish, French, and Italian.
Janisse's first book, ECOLOGY OF A CRACKER CHILDHOOD, recounts her experiences growing up in a junkyard, the daughter of a poor, white, fundamentalist Christian family. The book interweaves family history and memoir with natural history—specifically, descriptions of the ecology of the vanishing longleaf pine forests that once blanketed the Southern coastal plains.
ECOLOGY was followed by many other books, mostly creative nonfiction--often nature writing-- as well as poetry and fiction.
She earned an MFA from the University of Montana, has received two honorary doctorates, and was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. She has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Georgia Writer's Association.
She lives on an organic farm inland from Savannah, Georgia, where she enjoys wildflowers, dark chocolate, and the blues.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 15, 2025
Janisse Ray, author of Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, has given the world a beautiful and useful manual on writing. Each chapter leads you into the current of a personal story woven with a magical thread that leads to a tool for the craft of writing. Janisse then gives you an opportunity to test that craft in an exercise and a writing prompt. She becomes a wise sorceress, leading you gently into powerful writing. Whether you consider yourself a writer or not, you will find that she has a way of drawing the magic out of you.
The story leading chapters draw you in so quickly this book is an effortless read. Upon receiving this, I opened it to browse the content and ended up reading the entire book in a couple of days. I have since returned to savor each chapter and work through the writing exercises and prompts. This is a manual I will return to again and again to develop my writing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to write, wants to write, or enjoys learning about the craft of writing.
The story leading chapters draw you in so quickly this book is an effortless read. Upon receiving this, I opened it to browse the content and ended up reading the entire book in a couple of days. I have since returned to savor each chapter and work through the writing exercises and prompts. This is a manual I will return to again and again to develop my writing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to write, wants to write, or enjoys learning about the craft of writing.
July 1, 2024
(I received an ARC ahead of publication and found this book to be a fabulous guide for writers and readers alike.)
Reading Craft and Current felt like a beautiful day-long float down the Altamaha River: an intimate experience in which Janisse is sharing with me her stories and compelling me to dig into my own magic to craft and curate my own stories. We have a fresh, light lunch of crisp veggies, enjoy sunshine and birdsong, peak at fleeting spring ephemerals, and aim to leave the world a better place than we found it. We do that through stories, Janisse says, then she tells me how and why.
Craft and Current is a perfect resource for both accomplished writers and writers-to-be. Janisse does not offer platitudes of success, nor does she promise immediate success or riches if you buy her book. Instead, she makes the gift of writing accessible to everyone, so long as one is willing to refine one’s spirit and then one’s craft. Additionally, the author offers insightful observations on the healing power of stories on human connection and the content itself piques the interest of the curious reader whether she aims to write or not. The appendices offer a personally curate recommended reading list and I relish the sections on word choice, how to magic, and rewilding.
Unlike other technical manuals and style guides, Janisse blends her lived experience and expertise with anecdotes illustrating how she developed and refines her craft, including those sparks of magic that keep readers in rapture. Magic, in this sense, is to open ourselves to the human experience and ambiguity and become the stories the world is desperate to know; to be wild; to be deeply connected with spirit and that which is hard to explain.
When I finished reading Craft and Current, the first thing I wrote was this review. The second? My story -- so inspiring is Janisse Ray’s latest work. The author notes, “We all transform differently. We hear the wisdom that we are ready to receive.” Dear readers and writers-to-be, I hope you are ready to receive because Janisse, again, has given us her wisdom through the power of stories.
Reading Craft and Current felt like a beautiful day-long float down the Altamaha River: an intimate experience in which Janisse is sharing with me her stories and compelling me to dig into my own magic to craft and curate my own stories. We have a fresh, light lunch of crisp veggies, enjoy sunshine and birdsong, peak at fleeting spring ephemerals, and aim to leave the world a better place than we found it. We do that through stories, Janisse says, then she tells me how and why.
Craft and Current is a perfect resource for both accomplished writers and writers-to-be. Janisse does not offer platitudes of success, nor does she promise immediate success or riches if you buy her book. Instead, she makes the gift of writing accessible to everyone, so long as one is willing to refine one’s spirit and then one’s craft. Additionally, the author offers insightful observations on the healing power of stories on human connection and the content itself piques the interest of the curious reader whether she aims to write or not. The appendices offer a personally curate recommended reading list and I relish the sections on word choice, how to magic, and rewilding.
Unlike other technical manuals and style guides, Janisse blends her lived experience and expertise with anecdotes illustrating how she developed and refines her craft, including those sparks of magic that keep readers in rapture. Magic, in this sense, is to open ourselves to the human experience and ambiguity and become the stories the world is desperate to know; to be wild; to be deeply connected with spirit and that which is hard to explain.
When I finished reading Craft and Current, the first thing I wrote was this review. The second? My story -- so inspiring is Janisse Ray’s latest work. The author notes, “We all transform differently. We hear the wisdom that we are ready to receive.” Dear readers and writers-to-be, I hope you are ready to receive because Janisse, again, has given us her wisdom through the power of stories.
August 26, 2024
Janisse Ray, the acclaimed author of Ecology of a Cracker Childhood and The Seed Underground, has once again woven her magic with words in Craft & Current: A Manual for Magical Writing. This book is not just a manual; it is a transformative journey into the art and soul of storytelling.
From the very first page, Ray’s words command attention. I found myself pausing at the bottom of the first page of the preface, overwhelmed by the depth of her insight. By the time I reached the halfway point on the second page, I knew this book was going to change me. Ray’s prose is infused with a raw, poetic power that resonates deeply, as evidenced by passages like, “Our lives snapped together like Legos … Stories are the result of connections made and connections broken,” and, “the front porch, where stories rose and fell …” These lines, rich with imagery and emotion, illustrate Ray’s belief that the purpose of a story is to challenge and change the status quo.
What makes Craft & Current particularly compelling is Ray’s ability to blend her profound understanding of language with practical advice for writers. Her love affair with language is palpable throughout the book, though some of her word choices, such as "hie," "materia," "freshet," and "carapaces," might challenge readers. Yet, this challenge is part of the book’s allure, pushing readers to expand their linguistic horizons.
Each chapter concludes with exercises and writing prompts, inviting readers to engage with the text in a deeply personal way. Ray’s suggestion of 4-minute flow writes, where you pick an item from a list of your obsessions, is a particularly effective tool for sparking creativity. Her definition of voice as “facility with language” provides a fresh perspective on an often-discussed topic.
The book is also a treasure trove of additional reading suggestions, offering a roadmap for those who wish to delve deeper into the craft of writing. After reading chapter 18, I was so inspired that I immediately wrote an essay, a testament to the book’s power to provoke thought and action.
Ray’s admonition to “abandon our silences” in order to build a body of important work is a call to writers everywhere to speak their truths, no matter how uncomfortable. Craft & Current is more than a guide to writing; it is a guide to living a life of purpose and meaning through the stories we tell.
The cover, a magical painting by Raven Waters, beautifully complements the mystical and transformative nature of the content within, while Erin Kirk’s cover design further enhances the book’s allure.
In summary, Craft & Current is an essential read for anyone serious about writing. It is a book that will not only change the way you write but also the way you view the world and your place in it.
From the very first page, Ray’s words command attention. I found myself pausing at the bottom of the first page of the preface, overwhelmed by the depth of her insight. By the time I reached the halfway point on the second page, I knew this book was going to change me. Ray’s prose is infused with a raw, poetic power that resonates deeply, as evidenced by passages like, “Our lives snapped together like Legos … Stories are the result of connections made and connections broken,” and, “the front porch, where stories rose and fell …” These lines, rich with imagery and emotion, illustrate Ray’s belief that the purpose of a story is to challenge and change the status quo.
What makes Craft & Current particularly compelling is Ray’s ability to blend her profound understanding of language with practical advice for writers. Her love affair with language is palpable throughout the book, though some of her word choices, such as "hie," "materia," "freshet," and "carapaces," might challenge readers. Yet, this challenge is part of the book’s allure, pushing readers to expand their linguistic horizons.
Each chapter concludes with exercises and writing prompts, inviting readers to engage with the text in a deeply personal way. Ray’s suggestion of 4-minute flow writes, where you pick an item from a list of your obsessions, is a particularly effective tool for sparking creativity. Her definition of voice as “facility with language” provides a fresh perspective on an often-discussed topic.
The book is also a treasure trove of additional reading suggestions, offering a roadmap for those who wish to delve deeper into the craft of writing. After reading chapter 18, I was so inspired that I immediately wrote an essay, a testament to the book’s power to provoke thought and action.
Ray’s admonition to “abandon our silences” in order to build a body of important work is a call to writers everywhere to speak their truths, no matter how uncomfortable. Craft & Current is more than a guide to writing; it is a guide to living a life of purpose and meaning through the stories we tell.
The cover, a magical painting by Raven Waters, beautifully complements the mystical and transformative nature of the content within, while Erin Kirk’s cover design further enhances the book’s allure.
In summary, Craft & Current is an essential read for anyone serious about writing. It is a book that will not only change the way you write but also the way you view the world and your place in it.
August 19, 2024
In 1999 I was a non-traditional college student at Georgia Southern University and a young mother when I read Ecology of a Cracker Childhood . Amazon recommended it after I had purchased books by Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson . If I knew then what I know now, I would've driven to Baxley, GA and hunted up her daddy at his junkyard and bought it directly from him. I credit Janisse with a supporting role in steering me in the currents of life to a biology degree and a deep, abiding love of nature and place. Of course, life got busy. I kept my dog-eared copy of Ecology on the book shelf, but I didn't read another of her books until last year when I came across The Woods of Fannin County . The flow of her words across the page are like seeing an old friend once again. Since turning fifty, I had been feeling an urge to write and had looked into online writing classes but none seemed to be the right fit. Then I discovered Janisse offered courses. Through her tutelage and mentorship, I am finding my voice, and for the past year a writing fire has been burning its way out of me. This book is a culmination of all her courses with a little sparkle of magic sprinkled in. It's a must read for anyone on this writer's journey.
August 8, 2024
Excellent! this book is part story, part manual, and generously splashed with Janisse Ray’s hard earned wisdom. I strongly recommend this book to writers and storytellers of all forms, to creatives and parents, to anyone needing a boost to go forth and set your place in this beautiful world. The structure is straightforward and honest. I’m going to turn back to page one and reread it now, and do the exercises and prompts.
December 22, 2024
It took me a bit to get into the groove with this book and Janisse’s formatting, to see how it tied together, but it really comes through in the back half. So many little wise words of wisdom that I need to go back and write down in my journal. Here’s to 2025 and living big with writing!
August 6, 2024
A must have book for writers, particularly those who write creative nonfiction.
June 16, 2025
Craft and Current is my favorite book on writing! Janisse Ray deftly weaves lessons on the craft of writing with reflections on what she calls "the Mysterium." She illustrates everything with personal stories, so even ideas that could seem abstract take on a grounded, detailed quality. I highly recommend both this book and her online writing classes. I've taken her "Magical Craft of Creative Nonfiction" (twice), and I learned so much that I decided to take her Memoir class this summer. She's not just a fabulous writer. She's a brilliant teacher: passionate, kind, wise, funny, and encouraging. I'm so grateful for all I have learned from this compassionate and inspiring woman!
September 10, 2024
Once again, Janisse Ray's writing has changed my life. In 1999, her "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood" set my course toward what would become known as environmental creative writing. Every of her books since that one has influenced my work and taught me about myself and the world around me. "Craft & Current" is no ordinary "how to" write book, but rather a "we must" write clarion call to writers to do whatever we can to write our hearts and write to heal and save Mother Earth, and all her children.
September 3, 2024
I've read several of the often-recommended books on writing, but Ray's book is the most practical, most honest, and most personal one I have read. Tips, advice, encouragement, simple exercises, journal prompts, and her personal experience as a writer are offered in this enjoyable read. I also purchased the workbook but read the book first and now will go back through the book while working on the workbook.
August 26, 2025
This book and its companion workbook have been sitting on my shelf for a year. I recently revisited some nonfiction essays I started writing a while back. I was stuck and needed help. Craft and Current came off the shelf and I couldn’t put it down. It reads like a story. It has become one of my favorite writing books. The workbook was usable and very helpful. I think it is the first workbook I ever finished.
September 11, 2024
I have known Janisse and her work for some time, some might say I am biased but I know good work when I see it. Ray is giving the store away with this book. If you have ever even thought about writing, writing anything, you need to have, read, and reread this book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews