One thought on “What Now?”

1. A very quick and inspiring read Originally a commencement speech at her alma mater, Sarah Lawrence, Patchett describes how life continuously presents new What Nows F Scott Fitzgerald had a similar way of dealing with life in This Side of Paradise by having his character Do the next thing Both sentiments are applicable to the new graduate and anyone on the planet because when faced with obstacles or doldroms we all wonder What Now Favorite excerpts Sometimes the circumstances at hand force us to [...]

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2. I really enjoyed this speech turned essay So many wonderful morsels of wisdom to chew on She shares a few personal anecdotes, but does not make the speech about herself It is inspiring and contemplative, encouraging her audience to look inward for happiness and then sharing it with the world Because it was a commencement speech that she have at her alma mater, it is almost guaranteed that it will remind you of your college university days Unfortunately, I don t remember anything about the commen [...]

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3. Just because things hadn t gone the way I had planned didn t necessarily mean they had gone wrong This was a very powerful and moving essay that I feel like came in my life during the perfect time, considering I just graduated high school and that question seems to be suffocating me It really offered me a new perspective and made me feel a lot comforted I needed this in my life, and I think that I will be re reading it any time that nagging question pops in my head again I d recommend this book [...]

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4. This makes for a long commencement speech, but a short audiobook I can see how many people would find it inspiring and reassuring, despite its cliche flavor.I like that it s not necessarily geared specifically at new college graduates Patchett emphasizes that we reach many different intimidating crossroads throughout our lives And that these unsure times should be cherished rather than rushed But, damn, as always, it s a whole lot easier to say that once you re older and already know that your l [...]

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5. I ended my 2016 year of reading with Rilke s Letters to a Young Poet Wanting something short and inspirational to end 2017 I remembered this tiny book I picked up at a book sale Patchett s wisdom is potent and I will carry it with me in the new year.

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6. A great way to start 2012 I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Ann Patchett s writing in Bel Canto, and I am excited to rediscover her and plan to read several of her novels this year What Now is a short Commencement Address that she gave at her alma mater Sarah Lawrence It is full of good advice for anyone My favorite passages And sometimes, we don t realize what we ve learned until we ve already known it for a very long time I never stop having to learn to pay attention to the things I ll probab [...]

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7. I liked what Ann Patchett has to say very much I am giving my copy to a young person graduating this week from a second chance military style program with his GED He is struggling mightily with What now I highlighted several places in my copy where I want the recipient to pay attention phrases that I think will comfort if not instruct him What I did not like about this book is the way it is put together Apparently Patchett s text alone, even double spaced, would be no than a brochure So to get [...]

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8. Not particularly Rocket Science but nice to read something assuring by an author that I ve liked for years Typically I don t take much interest in Commencement Speeches though I did really enjoy watching Barbara Kinsolver s speech at Duke but there s something rather refreshingly positive about telling students to seize the day, enjoy the undecidedeness of decision making and to savor youth and its almost career innocence It probably wasn t something I d have run out to buy but a friend gave me [...]

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9. 4.5

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10. Ann Patchett has a way of pulling you into her story She explores what many college graduates face as they get ready to step out into their vocation what now Some have a set track to run on while others are still figuring it out She relates her own experience after graduating, and while we do not share the same philosophy of life, I did appreciate some of her thoughts I especially enjoyed her talking about her 12 years of Catholic school and how at the time she didn t think it worth much, but la [...]

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11. What Now is a short Commencement Address that Ann Patchett gave at her alma mater Sarah Lawrence It is full of good advice for anyone I received a signed copy as a gift from Jennifer for my 50th birthday I think the advice given is just as good for a 50 year old as it is a college graduate I will definitely keep this book in mind as a graduation gift I really enjoyed the story of the chocolate chip cookie baking and how her first draft was scrapped because of feedback from her college professor. [...]

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12. 3.5 stars

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13. 2.5 starsA nice little read with some cute anecdotes Wasn t anything spectacular, but I liked it regardless.

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14. Good little book to start the year thinking.

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15. Having recently discovered Ann Patchett s wonderful novels, I was pleasantly surprised to discover she had also written a stirring essay based on her commencement address at Sarah Lawrence College Less than one hundred pages in length, What Now can easily be read in one sitting Using anecdotes from her own life, Patchett offers many simple truths and life lessons that will inspire anyone at a crossroads, not just newly minted graduates As a recent retiree, I recall facing the What Now question m [...]

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16. LOVE Ann Patchett This is beautiful but simple, wise and relatable She talks about how she was excited to make the decision of where to go to school but had to eventually come back to answering What now Then she decided to go to grad school but ultimately that took her back to What now I like how she points out that it s not school that makes us better people but working and taking what comes, even if it s not what we expected or planned We can t control every thing like her duck hunting analogy [...]

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17. I really cannot find any meaning for the existence of this book It is a constant self appraisal monologue that goes on for ever where is humility and so on Recommended for church school list of books Even the photographs although some interesting by themselves black and whites, abstract e.t.c , they are shuttered between the pages in a very childish over explanatory manner For instance she writes something about two paths to follow in life, the next thing you see is a very good picture with two [...]

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18. Essay What now Good question One I have been asking myself since my junior year in high school I ve never felt very good at finding the answer Once I married and had children, I felt it was answered for a good, long time but now that three of mine are young adults and I only have a very responsible 12 year old at home, I m back to What now again Unfortunately, despite all my life experience, I don t have any clearer answers than I had in high school Patchetts ponderings didn t provide any either [...]

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19. I listened to the audiobook What now written and read by Ann Patchett, a favourite author of mine This book is based on a commencement address she made at Sarah Lawrence College.I love listening to her voice She offers inspiration and hope and stresses the importance of listening and staring With humour and honesty she tells about the twists and turns in the path she followed to reach her goal of becoming a novelist college, graduating, cooking, teaching and waitressing, demonstrated how she ans [...]

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20. The audio version was an added bonus, because I think of Ann Patchett as not just a writer but a storyteller Hearing her give her speech in her own words made it accessible The question What now is answered for her audience college graduates as she shows that the question isn t answerable, that the next thing is always a work in progress Slight but full of wisdom 3 1 2 stars.

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21. This was a very short little book, but very good It emphasizes the importance of being open to what happens to us versus the emphasis I think we commonly put on what we should be doing with ourselves In the end, she advocates for a balance between the two, but the book actually an expanded commencement speech is a good reminder that many of our most valuable experiences are not expected or planned.

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22. This bright and beautiful essay makes the wandering and sometime frantic search for one s own path through life seem like the best and most exciting adventure of our lives I hope it is The writing was fresh and fast paced and felt like a comforting embrace from a beloved friend Don t miss this quick read with funny pictures, too

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23. I ve been on an Ann Patchett kick recently This commencement speech asked What now It tells her story of life after college, life as a grown up, and how seemingly insignificant experiences actually laid the way to her current life Life is just a string of nows.

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24. enjoyed listening to this good quick read for when your at a crossroads in life

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25. I loved her voice and her message, but I want to reread this book to see if I can absorb But, this was recommended to me by someone and I would suggest this to all of my writerly friends.

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26. A very short story about following your dreams One remarkable phrase I couldn t write words big enough to ask for so much.

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27. Listened to the audiobook Having just rediscovered my love of Ann Patchett s writing by finishing Commonwealth, I searched for another of her works and found this Perfect serendipity as I am at a crossroads in my career right now Like the quote below, I hope I will be piecing together thoughts from this essay with my own life experiences in new ways for years to come For the most part wisdom comes in chips rather than blocks You have to be willing to gather them constantly, and from sources you [...]

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28. I m a sucker for well written commencement addresses When I worked as a judge for high school speech tournaments, one of my favorite events would be when students recited these I also think December perhaps an even appropriate time than May for those outside the world of academia to revisit them our calendar year is winding down with the promise of a fresh start in January In this essay expanded from her commencement address, Ann Patchett describes the journey that those of us in 2017 might ref [...]

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29. I gave this book to the two high school graduates in my life this year, and then re read my own copy Now I m wishing I had underlined and highlighted parts in the copies I gave, because there are several places that I thought yes this pay attention to this life is like this and you might not think anyone else thinks so too Patchett continues to be one of my favorite writers, whether she s creating fictional worlds or reflecting on her own experiences She writes elegantly without being overly wri [...]

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30. It s okay for what it is, just an expanded version of her commencement address at Sarah Lawrence College Her experience as working at TGI Fridays as a college graduate with a master s is certainly relatable I was a bit stunned by what she says about why she dated her husband for 11 years before relenting and getting married I have no idea what her fiction is like, and I am only a little curious than I was before She is one of the many writers with a Catholic school education, so now I am intere [...]

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