Mentor: A Memoir

Mentor: A Memoir
By Tom Grimes (245 pages)
Published by Tin House Books
Bookish Rating: 4.5

In this spectacular (and no, I do not exaggerate) memoir about writing and the writing life, struggling writer-slash-waiter Tom Grimes has a chance encounter with Frank Conroy, author of the classic Stop-Time and director of the Iowa Writers Workshop (the best writing program in the country). Conroy reads a little of Grimes's work, thinks it's brilliant, and voila Grimes has a spot in next year's workshop.

Why, it's practically Dickensian, but . . . it's also true.

Grimes struggles through his writing, painstakingly selecting each word and phrase, revising and revising and revising. His classmates don't like him, especially when he develops a mentoring bond with their god, Frank Conroy.

I initially got this book from the library. Within a couple chapters, I realized I'd want to take my sweet, sweet time reading it, unencumbered by such pesky things as library due dates. I also knew that I'd want to keep a copy for my own library--and if you know me, you know I'm not someone who hangs onto books. That's a far too static dead end for them. I read them and then pass them on to friends or my mom, or I donate them to the church rummage sale that raises moolah for teens to go do some good.

But this book I'd want to keep. So, I returned my library copy and bought my own.

I let myself take eight months to read Mentor. I loved Grimes's depiction of writerly frustration, rejection, and that irritating voice in your head that tells you what you just wrote simply ain't good enough. The writing was, of course, fantastic, but particularly moving was the father-son, successful writer-struggling writer relationships depicted between Grimes and Conroy.

I ended the book with a big fat desire to read all of Conroy's work (of which I've read nada), and even Grimes's rather unsuccsessful work.

Highly, highly recommended for anyone pursuing a writing project of any kind. Sure, zero time is spent on the practical how-to of the craft of writing, but trust me. You'll be a better writer by the end of this book. You just will.