{"product_id":"the-creative-spark-how-musicians-writers-explorers-and-other-artists-found-their-inner-fire-and-followed-their-dreams-9781609521783","title":"The Creative Spark: How Musicians, Writers, Explorers, and Other Artists Found Their Inner Fire and Followed Their Dreams","description":"\"Knowledgeable, probing, and thoughtful.\" -Foreword Reviews\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eSmokey Robinson - Barbara Kingsolver - Francis Ford Coppola - David Sedaris - Jane Goodall\u003c\/b\u003e and other luminaries reveal the secrets to their creative success. \u003cb\u003eAmy Tan\u003c\/b\u003e talks about how she finds truth by writing fiction. \u003cb\u003eMelissa Etheridge\u003c\/b\u003e tells us how she channels her fire into her music. \u003cb\u003ePico Iyer\u003c\/b\u003e shares how seeking stillness enhances his creativity. And \u003cb\u003eCoppola\u003c\/b\u003e discusses how he found the courage to make groundbreaking films. \u003cp\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Spark\u003c\/i\u003e, a collection of interviews prefaced by brief biographies, these luminaries join dozens of other voices to create a symphony of inspiration. \u003cb\u003eLucinda Williams\u003c\/b\u003e talks about honesty and making every word count; \u003cb\u003eJane Goodall\u003c\/b\u003e cites the value of persistence and believing in yourself; and \u003cb\u003eSmokey Robinson\u003c\/b\u003e heralds the timeless power of love songs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e For more than a decade, award-winning author Michael Shapiro (\u003ci\u003eA Sense of Place\u003c\/i\u003e) has interviewed many of our brightest creators. In \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Spark\u003c\/i\u003e, musicians, authors, explorers, and chefs speak about what drives them, what helps them see the world in fresh ways, and what inspires them to turn their visions into art. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Shapiro's work as a music journalist has led to interviews with legends including \u003cb\u003eGraham Nash, Lyle Lovett, Melissa Etheridge, Jake Shimabukuro, Merle Haggard, \u003c\/b\u003e and Jethro Tull bandleader \u003cb\u003eIan Anderson\u003c\/b\u003e. And he's spoken with creative masters in other fields, such as comedian \u003cb\u003eJoan Rivers\u003c\/b\u003e and author \u003cb\u003eFrances Mayes\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Yet it's not simply that Shapiro has had access to so many supremely talented people-it's that he gets them to go deep. Moments into his penetrating conversation with Lucinda (her fans call her by her first name), she tells Shapiro about how decisions made about her mother's funeral led to fissures in her family. From this achingly personal conversation, readers can glean fresh insights into why Lucinda has such a devoted following and why her songs open listeners' hearts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Unexpected revelations pop up in every chapter of \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Spark\u003c\/i\u003e. Iowa folksinger \u003cb\u003eGreg Brown\u003c\/b\u003e isn't a household name, but his fellow musicians revere his poetic compositions. Then there's San Francisco Giants announcer \u003cb\u003eMike Krukow\u003c\/b\u003e, who turns every broadcast into a work of art. Chefs, including SingleThread's \u003cb\u003eKyle Connaughton\u003c\/b\u003e, discuss how they're transforming the way we approach fine dining and why social responsibility is essential.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Each chapter starts with a short biography of the creative person being profiled, then segues into Q+A. This collection brings together some of the best-known artists of our time with others who may not be as famed but who have valuable insights about living an artful life. \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Spark\u003c\/i\u003e stands as a testament to human achievement, showing how creativity illuminates our world. And how it resides in each and every one of us, just waiting to break out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e**Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Medal Winner** **Independent Publisher Book Awards finalist for \u003ci\u003eA Sense of Place\u003c\/i\u003e** **Winner of the Bedford Pace Grand Award and Lowell Thomas Award** Michael Shapiro is a heralded journalist known for the keen insight he brings to interviews. Working for leading newspapers (\u003ci\u003eWashington Post, New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e) and national magazines (\u003ci\u003eNational Geographic Traveler, American Way, Hemispheres\u003c\/i\u003e), Shapiro has interviewed many of the most creative people of our time. He's become known for his ability to forge personal connections with artists such as Smokey Robinson, Lucinda Williams, David Sedaris, Graham Nash, Melissa Etheridge, Amy Tan, and Lyle Lovett. These renowned innovators and many others share the secrets of their creative processes in \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Spark\u003c\/i\u003e. Shapiro's previous book, \u003ci\u003eA Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk About Their Craft, Lives, and Inspiration\u003c\/i\u003e (Travelers' Tales) is a collection of interviews with the world's top travel authors, including Bill Bryson, Pico Iyer, Jan Morris, Paul Theroux, Simon Winchester, Peter Matthiessen, and Frances Mayes. In 2017, Shapiro delivered a TEDx talk entitled \"The Space Between\" about how travel can narrow the gaps between people all over the globe and why that's more important than ever. A native of New York, Shapiro graduated from U.C. Berkeley with high honors and now lives with his wife in Sonoma County, Calif. His \u003ci\u003eNational Geographic Traveler\u003c\/i\u003e feature, about Jan Morris' corner of Wales, won the Bedford Pace grand award. His story about sustainable seafood in Vancouver earned the 2016 Explore Canada Award of Excellence in the culinary category. He has contributed several in-depth interviews to \u003ci\u003eThe Sun\u003c\/i\u003e, a literary magazine, including conversations with oral historian Studs Terkel and oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Both are in \u003ci\u003eThe Creative Spark\u003c\/i\u003e. Shapiro has written about the Naadam festival in Mongolia for the \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, tasted tequila in Jalisco for \u003ci\u003eAmerican Way\u003c\/i\u003e, and spoken with Jane Goodall for \u003ci\u003eO the Oprah Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e. From 2011 to 2018, he wrote a weekly column about gambling for the \u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e and for four years had a column in the \u003ci\u003eChronicle\u003c\/i\u003e's travel section. He volunteers as a whitewater rafting guide and sea kayak trip leader for Environmental Traveling Companions, a San Francisco-based group that takes physically challenged people on outdoor adventures. In 2016, he co-led a river trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, rowing his wife and others through the river's fiercest rapids, including Lava Falls.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Travelers' Tales","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50524998730002,"sku":"9781609521783","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_dd642c65-f38f-41e0-a10b-b662d6f92815.jpg?v=1776156820","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-creative-spark-how-musicians-writers-explorers-and-other-artists-found-their-inner-fire-and-followed-their-dreams-9781609521783","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}