Clarity, Voice, and the Long Way to the Sentence with Anne Lamott

Mar 18, 2026

Anne Lamott, beloved author and writing teacher known for candid, humorous prose, joins to talk craft and collaboration. She discusses co-writing Good Writing with her husband, the dance between restraint and exuberance, the work of trimming clutter, and how voice, clarity, and daily practice shape sentences and life.

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ADVICE

Use Radical Self Care To Survive Overwhelm

Practice radical self-care and patience when overwhelmed by crises or mistakes.
Anne Lamott describes typing the wrong city, comforting herself, donating, and trusting small daily actions to get through the day.

ANECDOTE

The Cat That Came Back Late At Night

Anne told a story about her indoor cat Yoko getting out and hiding until late at night.
She resisted frantic searching, left a door open, and the cat returned at 11:30 PM, illustrating resisting less.

ADVICE

Say I Don't Know And Use A God Box

Let go of the pressure to always 'figure it out' and learn to say 'I don't know.'
Lamott and Neal use a God box to release decisions and wait for a tug of guidance instead of forcing outcomes.

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Description:Today’s bonus episode is a joy from start to finish. We’re sitting down with treasured friend Anne Lamott—beloved writer, teacher, and spiritual guide—whose voice has shaped how so many of us think about faith, truth, writing, and what it means to be human on the page.

Anne returns to For the Love to talk about her upcoming book, Good Writing, co-written with her husband, journalist and editor Neal Allen. While Neal couldn’t join us today, this conversation is very much about the shared work they created together—a book that isn’t chasing polish or perfection, but clarity, honesty, and respect for the reader.

Good Writing is part craft guide, part philosophy of living. Written in alternating voices, it blends Anne’s signature warmth, humor, and spiritual insight with Neal’s journalistic precision and discipline. Together, they explore what makes sentences work, how voice is formed, why ego gets in the way, and why clarity is not just a stylistic choice—but an act of generosity.

In this intimate and often funny conversation, Jen and Amy talk with Anne about what it was like to co-write a book so closely, what collaboration revealed about trust and restraint, and how writing—at its best—is a relationship. They dig into voice and ego, bad sentences and letting go, rhythm and revision, and why removing what doesn’t serve the sentence can feel like both grief and grace.

But as always with Anne, the conversation goes deeper than craft. This episode explores writing as a way of being in the world—how attention, humility, and courage shape not only our sentences, but our lives.

If you’ve ever loved Bird by Bird, wrestled with your inner critic, or longed to tell the truth with a little more care—this conversation is for you.

Thought-provoking Quotes:

“I only have to do today, today.” – Anne Lamott
“We write because we try to tell the truth. We try to share our experience, strength and hope.” – Anne Lamott
“Say what you mean. Mean what you say. And don’t say it mean.” – Anne Lamott

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott - https://amzn.to/4qLZRQR
Anne Lamott on Faith, Writing, and Radical Self-Love - https://jenhatmaker.com/podcasts/bonus/anne-lamott-on-faith-writing-and-radical-self-love-2/
Neal Allen - https://www.shapesoftruth.com/
Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences by Neal Allen and Anne Lamott - https://amzn.to/3NMoKNP
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott - https://amzn.to/4t7FteL
Somehow: Thoughts on Love by Anne Lamott - https://amzn.to/3Z4Nd3r
Stanley Tucci on the For the Love podcast - https://jenhatmaker.com/podcasts/series-64/stanley-tucci-food-memories-and-emotions/
Amy’s Full of Microplastics and Existential Dread Sweatshirt - https://www.threadless.com/shop/@dinomike/design/full-of-microplastics/womens/sweatshirt
Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker - https://amzn.to/4rlv3Gz
Jessica Mitford - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Mitford
Tyler Merritt - https://thetylermerrittproject.com/
I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America by Tyler Merritt - https://amzn.to/49N1ms8
Better Days: Tame Your Inner Critic by Neal Allen - https://amzn.to/3LTEVs9
A Writing Room - https://awritingroom.com/

Guest’s Links:

Website - https://awritingroom.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/annelamott/

Twitter - https://x.com/ANNELAMOTT?lang=en

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AnneLamott/

Substack - https://annelamott.substack.com/

Connect with Jen!Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmakerJen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmakerJen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

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