Posted: March 22nd, 2023

Essay- Mary Pipher

The Writing to Change the World is an excellent book containing transformative words and a well-outlined process on how to write meaningful stories and books. Due to the diverse knowledge in both psychotherapy and writing, Mary Pipher’s book features many examples and approaches. As such, some of them include informative commentaries, memorable quotes, personal experiences, and the stories of great writers who have reshaped the society through their literary works. In her book, Pipher has well-elaborated ideas that authors should incorporate in their writing to improve the world, connect with their readers, and enhance healthy writing. Therefore, this discussion will summarize Mary Pipher’s ideas of “Change Writing” and their impacts on other authors.

It is worth appreciating that Mary Pipher’s book from the beginning has the idea that every writer’s work core initiative is to improve the world. In fact, Pipher further affirms that individuals, especially writers have potential and unique contributions to make to their readers and the rest of the world.  In her book, this statement supports her ideology that “When you take a pen and paper with the goal of making a difference, you join a community of people for whom words and issues matter” (Pipher 24). Nonetheless, she inaugurates that making a positive impact requires a writer to find his/her voice in an already messed up society. Indeed, using herself as an example Pipher outlines the steps she took at the age of forty to make a difference in the world of writing (Pipher 79). Further, she avers that improving the world also requires a writer to find common ground with their readers. In fact, she assures the authors that all their ideas will not always be applauded because opinionated opponents are must provide criticism to any work of art. Nonetheless, finding a central ground and neutralizing fear is a way of overcoming negative censure.

The author of Change Writing also has the idea that all essayists should write to connect with the world and their readers. Consequently, being a therapist, Pipher ascertains that when novelists establish themselves with the circumstances of others, they relate to them. In her book, she states that “Writing to connect is “change writing” which like good therapy creates the conditions that allow people to be transformed” (Pipher 21). For instance, she uses Mark Saltzman as an example of a teacher who initiated the art of training creative writing to juvenile offenders in Los Angeles (Pipher 115). Therefore, through his writing, Saltzman not only connected with these young ones but also allowed them to experience transformation. It is worth noting that when people connect through writing, they change their ideologies, actions, and feelings because awareness is developed and nurtured in them.

Quintessentially, Mary Pipher has the idea that all authors should write with the mind that the world requires healthy stories. From her book, she states “Healthy cultures pass on healthy stories from generation to generation” (Pipher 25). In this regard, Pipher maintains that today’s writers have taken up an unhealthy culture of feeding their readers with insignificant details in their superficially appealing stories. Therefore, authors according to the Pipher should embark on telling stories which demonstrate the complicated nature of human beings. Notably, the novelists should appreciate that individuals have needs, emotions, families, and histories, thus the need to coexist (Pipher 19). By so doing, change writing will become a reality because the focus of the writers will be on telling meaningful tales of the works and lives of other people or the authors.

As it is evident from the analysis, Mary Pipher’s book and the ideas conveyed are useful and essential to every writer or reader. In essence, her point of view significantly exhibits that positive, connected, transformative, and health writing translates to social change in all people. Moreover, keen writers can be inspired to leave a mark in the world because meaningful stories and written words heal and transform people.