Every time I have the opportunity to read something penned by LeGuin, a profound longing wells up within me. I yearn for the simple pleasure of sitting down with her, perhaps in a cozy corner, sharing a pot of tea. The thought of engaging in a heartfelt conversation, just swapping stories and ideas, is truly enticing. Her works have such a powerful impact on me, constantly blowing my mind with their depth, creativity, and unique perspectives. I can only imagine the wealth of knowledge and wisdom she would have to share during our encounter. It would be a dream come true to be able to pick her brain and gain insights into her creative process. I believe such a conversation would not only enrich my understanding of her works but also expand my own horizons and inspire me in my own pursuits.

A reading challenge I participated in through Habitica was to read a book of essays, and this particular one was my selection.

However, oh my! This book is truly something special. It is challenging, filled with humor, deeply moving, and it has the power to open your mind wide, even blow it away. The writing is beautiful, as is always the case with Ursula K. Le Guin. It literally tore my heart open. I have only read a small portion of Le Guin's non-fiction works, mainly in the form of speeches and interviews. But this book reveals a side of her that is very different from her fiction, of which I have read 95%. We witness her vast erudition on full display, yet in a humble and down-to-earth manner that one would expect. Additionally, she is playful and, indeed, funny. Reading this book was an absolute delight. Although I am sad that I have finished it, I can also be happy because I still have a few more books of her non-fiction and poetry to explore and enjoy.

Can I say that I've been waiting for this book my whole life?

I've admired LeGuin as a SciFi writer for many years. However, this book has revealed a completely different aspect of her to me. She is a person with a deep intellect, well-versed in a wide variety of subjects. She is a voracious reader and a thoughtful critic, who is deeply concerned with equality and feminism, among many other topics. At her core, she is a writer, and it is truly wonderful to witness her intellect being dedicated to the beauty and power of fiction, as well as exploring what it means and feels like to be a writer.

Over the years of my life, I have contemplated a few of these subjects. But to see them written down and expressed with such precision in the form of short essays is truly inspiring. I have a strong desire to meet her and thank her personally for creating such a remarkable book.

It makes me realize the profound impact that a great writer can have on our lives and how their words can touch our hearts and minds. LeGuin's work in this book is a testament to her talent and her ability to convey complex ideas in a simple and engaging way.

I can't wait to share this book with others and spread the word about its significance. It is a must-read for anyone who has an interest in literature, feminism, or simply wants to be inspired by a great writer's thoughts and experiences.

Ursula Le Guin's essays have completely charmed the new me. Her essays are so powerful that they make me wonder if I should look back at her fictions again. In this collection, she writes about themes such as womanhood, writing, and reading. She writes all her works with sincerity. As she herself said, she draws strength from the boldness and courage that comes with age. The idea that this is the only refuge for women who will be criticized no matter what they do never crossed my mind for a moment while reading.

The essays in which she reflects on being an old woman and a writer have become my favorites. I can say that I was moved as she described the difference between her and male writers like Hemingway. Especially when I thought about the criticisms she faced in the period she lived in, I felt sad. But Ursula is a very strong woman. She compares her strength not to granite but to clay. When she encounters difficulties, she doesn't break; even if she is suppressed, she permeates the shape she takes.

I was also very entertained by the essay in which she criticized Tolstoy with the authority given by her age. Tolstoy writes one of the most beloved openings in the history of literature: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Ursula objects to this. She says that each happy family has only happy times. Tolstoy has a thesis as if he became Tolstoy not because he knew much more than us but because he expressed it better than us. When we think about Tolstoy's life, it is impossible not to give him credit.

The scene of a competition where all the members of the jury are women in Ursula's works is one of my favorite writings. When the jury is all women, she talks about how the fact that the writers who reach the finals are women will create insecurity. In fact, one of the jurors says this. When Ursula questions whether there would be insecurity if this scenario were composed of men, all the women answer in a sense of resignation as if it wouldn't be the case but what can we do. It's a situation that makes me angry when I think about it. Awards are never distributed fairly. Even if the award-givers are women, they are still being evaluated.

I have something to say about almost every one of her writings. Finally, I want to talk about what she wrote about story narration. Story narration has evolved over the centuries. Ursula says that the influence of epics suitable for oral narration still persists. She gives examples of how the art of prose will look and sound differently. One of her examples is Woolf's To The Lighthouse. It's a very difficult novel to read, and I want to listen to it as well following her advice.

This book has had a great impact on me. It is a book that everyone who thinks about writers and writing should take a look at. Her mastery over other genres as well as fantastic literature is more evident in this book.

It is extremely difficult for me to rate an essay book where all the essays are masterfully written but with which I could establish a connection only with a few.

I am quite new to the world of essays, and the author's words about the art of writing and her experiences as a writer seemed precious, accurate, and interesting to me.

My favorites were the ones on writing and the one titled “Being Taken for Granted”. Each essay in this collection offers unique perspectives and insights. The author's writing style is engaging and thought-provoking. However, due to my limited exposure to the genre, I found some of the essays a bit challenging to fully understand and connect with. Nevertheless, I still appreciate the effort and talent that went into creating this book. It has definitely opened my eyes to the beauty and complexity of the essay form.

One of my bedtime reads is a collection of essays that is mostly very good.

However, a few of the essays were a little boring for me. The reason is that they delved a little too deeply into the technical aspects of writing, such as the hows and whys.

While I appreciate the importance of understanding the mechanics of writing, I found these particular essays to be a bit dry and difficult to engage with.

Nonetheless, the majority of the essays in the collection were engaging, thought-provoking, and offered valuable insights into the world of literature and writing.

Overall, I would still recommend this book as a bedtime read, especially for those who are interested in improving their writing skills or simply enjoying some well-written essays.

Στάθηκα και αφουγκράστηκα τη γυναίκα δέντρο. She managed to synchronize her rhythm with that of this world and became saman (or saman, why not?). Ursula Le Guin is talking here about many things. She is discussing about the ethnic and racial discriminations, the dominant and non-dominant cultures, the male obsessions, the stereotypes, the arrogance/syndromes of the individual elites. Of course, she is also talking about the Logos: about the words, the voices that are heard, that are written and about the stories that find or don't find their way. She is speaking calmly about everything related to her own life, but without any circumlocutions about the badly written things in this world.

She is speaking with a fluent speech without having to prove anything, since she has reached where she wanted - to find her voice - and she knows it. She could talk about anything, for example about the habits of the Arctic fox, and again she would have captivated me, this wise woman. Respect, Mrs. Le Guin.

"Life exists only when it gets out of existence." (Page 250) "What a child needs, what all of us need, is to find a few other people who have imagined life according to directions that make sense and allow some freedom, and to attach ourselves to them. Not to listen to them passively, but to attach ourselves to them. Reading is one way to attach oneself."

"Fantasy can transform the dark substance of life. And in many personal essays and autobiographies, this is what I start to desire, to yearn for: the transformation. I'm not satisfied with recognizing our common, familiar wretchedness. I want to recognize something that I've never seen before. I want the vision that leaps upon me, terrifying and burning - the fire of the transformative fantasy. I want the real dragons." (Page 353)

Thank you A. for the pebble that was thrown into the digital lake of Goodreads, enough for the little wave it raised to reach even my shore. Now it's my turn.. Boom!

Calexico: Inspiracion - YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=255Mkai...

Favorite Essays from chapter Personal Matters:
- "Introducing myself" - This essay provides an in-depth look at the author's self.

- "Being take for granite" - It explores the concept of being taken for granted.

- "My Island" - Describes the author's personal haven.

Favorite Essays from chapter Readings:
- "Things not actually present: on the book of fantasy and J.L. Borges" - Analyzes the works of Borges.

- "Rhythmic Pattern in The Lord of Rings" - Focuses on the rhythm in Tolkien's masterpiece.

- "The Wilderness Within: The Sleeping Beauty and 'The Poacher'" - Compares two different works.

- "Off the Page: Loud Cows: a talk and a poem about reading aloud" - Highlights the importance of reading aloud.

Favorite Essays from chapter Discussions and Opinions:
- "Award and Gender" - Discusses the relationship between awards and gender.

- "Telling is Listening" - Explores the connection between telling and listening.

- "The Operating instructions" - Provides guidelines or instructions.

- ""A War Without End"" - Deals with the concept of an endless war.

Favorite Essays from chapter On Writing:
- "A Matter of Trust" - Focuses on trust in the writing process.

- "The Writer and the Character" - Examines the relationship between the writer and their characters.

- "Unquestioned Assumptions" - Looks at the assumptions we make in writing.

- "Prides: An essay on writing workshops" - Discusses writing workshops.

- "The Questions I get asked most often" - Answers common questions about writing.

- "Old Body Not Writing" - Deals with the challenges of writing as one ages.

- "The Writer on, and at, her work" - Gives insights into the writer's work.

I have always thought that reading a book is like having a conversation with the author, and perhaps among all the authors, the one I would most like to sit down and talk to is Le Guin. "A Wave in the Mind" - considering all the works I have read from her pen, and given that it consists of essays and compiled speech texts - was the work that satisfied me the most in this regard. It was wonderful to read her thoughts and views. The only "if only" related to the book was that the dominant theme was the act of writing. If only it had been more political-philosophical and less related to writing and reading.

My favorites that I need to note: I Present Myself, Appearing Like Granite, The Things That Don't Exist, Rhythm Patterns in "The Lord of the Rings", On Genetic Determinism, About Feet, An Endless War.

Note: The masterful perspective in the short review of "The Lord of the Rings" was so different that when I read Tolkien again, what was said will come to my mind.

How truly blessed we are to have had a Le Guin in our midst. Ursula K. Le Guin was a literary giant, a visionary whose works transcended the boundaries of traditional genres. Her stories took us to far-off worlds, introduced us to unique characters, and made us question the very nature of our own existence. With her rich imagination and profound insights, she crafted tales that were both entertaining and thought-provoking. Whether it was through her science fiction, fantasy, or literary fiction, Le Guin had a way of making us see the world in a new light. Her words had the power to inspire, to move, and to change us. We are fortunate to have been able to experience the magic of her writing, and her legacy will continue to live on for generations to come.

I have been a listener to Mrs. Ursula's self-talks for a while, and I have also learned how a writer creates a text. If you like chatting with writers, I definitely recommend reading this. It offers unique insights into the creative process. Mrs. Ursula's self-talks are not only interesting but also thought-provoking. Through her words, one can get a glimpse into the mind of a writer. You will be amazed at how she weaves her thoughts and ideas into a beautiful piece of writing. So, if you are a lover of literature and want to know more about the art of writing, don't miss this opportunity to listen to Mrs. Ursula's self-talks and learn from her.

This is a translation of the essay book The Wave in the mind, published in 2004. Most of the essays correspond to the period of the 1990s. Some writings are developed from older notes or rescued from talks. There are four major blocks within the book: personal issues, readings, discussions and opinions, and about writing.

The first block is a bit more intimate and personal. Here, Le Guin talks about her childhood and her life in general, as well as personal reflections on her way of thinking and acting. It allows us to see a bit of the woman we intuited behind her novels and stories. There are some things about her way of thinking that I don't like, but as she herself says, she is a woman raised in the 1940s, and something must have stuck with her. Perhaps the most significant story here is My Libraries, where she maintains that access to libraries must be free and gratuitous, as it is one of the ways to make us free, through the word.

The second block is dedicated to the readings she likes and that have marked her. She also analyzes The Lord of the Rings as a linguist and writer and its rhythm, a theme she deals with a lot throughout the essays. Le Guin considered that a text was good when it had a rhythm and a cadence, which allows me to better understand why her prose is so poetic. Also why her stories are slow-paced. Here is the essay that has most reached and moved me, Off the Page: Cows Aloud. A Talk and a Poem about Reading Aloud, especially because of the final poem. I don't know if this speech is recorded anywhere, even in audio, because it must have been spectacular to witness it.

The third block consists of various opinions on several topics, including an analysis of the gender distribution in genre awards. In some texts, I'm not entirely in agreement with her, but each and every one of the essays is firmly defended. Often by an angry woman, which is what Le Guin was at heart.

The fourth and last block are reflections and “advice” on writing, which I found a bit more indifferent, as I'm not used to writing fiction, but still undoubtedly useful and wonderful, and worthy of being read, even if you have no relationship with the topic.

The book is well worth it, both to get to know Le Guin better and to see her points of view, defended and commented on by an angry woman over whom no one had any control. This allowed her to charge and criticize what made her angry. I highly recommend reading it, especially for those who are fans of her work.