The Kabbalah of Writing: Mystical Practices for Inspiration and Creativity

Mandell (The Blessing of a Broken Heart) offers an inventive exploration of the Kabbalah as a resource to help readers improve their memoir and essay writing practices, and to discover the “divine beauty” of their lives. First, Mandell introduces the text’s 10 “sefirot,” or “spheres” that comprise the spiritual structure of the world. The first three are the “intellectual” spheres of will, inspiration, and comprehension, while the last seven speak to “emotional” spheres of boundaries, creativity, endurance, harmony, kindness, rulership, and surrender. In each chapter, Mandell considers one of these aspects and the wisdom it can offer writers (“kindness,” for example, teaches one to write without judgment) and sets up a writing prompt to reinforce the lessons (“Write a prayer or wish for yourself”; “What are your... dreams for yourself as a writer?”). Throughout, Mandell weaves in personal experience, including the 2001 murder of her son, which she wrote about in the 2004 National Jewish Book Award–winning The Blessing of a Broken Heart. This thoughtful guide balances practical advice with emotional insight, without being overtaken by mystic overtones. Aspiring writers with a spiritual bent will appreciate Mandell’s unique approach. (Jan.)