With pen in hand; the healing power of writing. (Literature & Language Arts).KLAUSER, Henriette Anne. With pen in hand; the healing power of writing. Perseus. 262p. bibliog. c2003. 0-7382-0788-8. $15.95. A In her introduction, Klauser, best-selling best·sell·er also best seller n. A product, such as a book, that is among those sold in the largest numbers. best author of Writing on Both Sides of the Brain, explains that her experiences giving workshops and the letters that she receives are the genesis of her latest book. The fundamental premise of her work is a belief in the "power of the written word to soothe soothe v. soothed, sooth·ing, soothes v.tr. 1. To calm or placate. 2. To ease or relieve (pain, for example). v.intr. To bring comfort, composure, or relief. our souls and ease the anguish." Klauser does not provide much scientific validation for her premise. She refers to the work of James Pennebaker of the University of Texas who did some research on people who had lost their jobs. He concluded that those who wrote about their experiences recovered emotionally more quickly and found new jobs more quickly than those who did not write. Writing about emotional topics in general was found by Pennebaker to result in "an increase in germ-fighting lymphocytes Lymphocytes Small white blood cells that bear the major responsibility for carrying out the activities of the immune system; they number about 1 trillion. " and a decrease in anxiety, stress levels, and depression. The majority of the chapters involve the stories of individuals who, faced with traumatic events A traumatic event is an event that is or may be a cause of trauma. The term may refer to one of the followiong:
Office of a spiritual leader expert in the ceremonies of worship and the performance of religious rituals. Though chieftains, kings, and heads of households have sometimes performed priestly functions, in most civilizations the priesthood is a specialized office. , a rape victim, a victim of domestic abuse, someone dealing with the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorism, and a Vietnam veteran This article is about veterans of the Vietnam War. For the French psychedelic musical group, see Vietnam Veterans. Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. . Most of the chapters give extensive excerpts from the journal writings of such individuals. At the end of the chapter, Klauser includes a short section called "Apply This" in which she suggests a way for the reader to use a similar approach in writing about the problems of their own lives as was used by the person who was the focus in that particular chapter. Such approaches include stream of consciousness and writing with the unschooled hand (i.e., using the left hand if right-handed). Klauser's book is billed as "inspirational in·spi·ra·tion·al adj. 1. Of or relating to inspiration. 2. Providing or intended to convey inspiration. 3. Resulting from inspiration. and practical." I found the stories compelling. They could well serve as inspiration for someone seeking solace through writing about an experience and their feelings as they deal with the aftermath of that experience. However, other than learning from examples, this book offers little practical instruction or advice. This book would be most helpful to those interested in the writing process or in psychology. Anthony J. Pucci, English Dept. Chair., Noh-e Dame H.S., Elmira, NY |
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