Annie Lamott

Anne Lamott writes and speaks about subjects that begin with capital letters: Alcoholism, Motherhood, Jesus. But armed with self-effacing humor – she is laugh-out-loud funny – and ruthless honesty, Lamott converts her subjects into enchant- ment. Actually,she writes about what most of us don’t like to think about. She wrote her first novel for her father, the writer Kenneth Lamott, when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. She has said that the book was “a present to someone I loved who was going to die.” In all her novels, she writes about loss – loss of loved ones and loss of personal control. She doesn’t try to sugarcoat the sadness, frustration and disappointment, but tells her stories with honesty, compassion and a pureness of voice. As she says,“I have a lot of hope and a lot of faith and I struggle to communicate that.” Anne Lamott does communicate her faith; in her books and in person, she lifts, comforts, and inspires, all the while keeping us laughing.

She has authored numerous best-selling books, including Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, and Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year. Her work often explores themes of faith, addiction, motherhood, and personal growth, blending raw honesty with wit and compassion.

Lamott has been honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship, and has taught at UC Davis, as well as at writing conferences across the country. Academy Award-winning film- maker Freida Mock has made a documentary on Lamott, entitled Bird by Bird with Annie (1999).Anne Lamott has also been inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

Lamott is a columnist for the Washington Post. Her next book, a collaboration with her husband Neal Allen, will be Good Writing (Avery Penguin Random House, 2026). She also has a new podcast series with Allen titled The Big Questions, available exclusively on the Ritual app.