“An illuminating and uplifting anthology that explores the many aspects of letting go. . . Honestly, I could open the book to any page and feel inspired”

Letting Go: An Anthology of Attempts

M.E. Hughes, editor

About the book
A fascinating collection of life stories told by 30 authors from seven countries. They write of their attempts to move beyond crippling grief, free themselves of haunting memories, get out from under abusive relationships. They tell of their struggles – often painful, sometimes funny - to let go of everything from a fear of horses, to old family homes, and piles of books and papers.

About the editor
M.E. Hughes has guided and edited a small army of writers since receiving her MFA in creative writing from Bennington College. In 1991, she founded the nonprofit Peripatetic Writing Workshop, Inc. (www.peripateticwritingandart.org). She has taught creative writing at New York University for many years and is also a freelance book doctor/editor. She has published two nonfiction books and the novel, Precious In HIs Sight (Viking Penguin). 

From the Introduction by M.E. Hughes
"When I called for manuscripts on the topic of letting go, I asked people to write about the process of letting go; I didn’t care if they were successful; I was more interested in how they went about trying, rather than the result. (For real struggles to let go, take a look at Joe Levine’s “Finis” or Terry Purinton’s “Dragon Lady.”) I emphasized that this book was not a “how to.” Instead, it was designed as a collection of essays in which readers could explore the very real—sometimes funny, sometimes painful—efforts we all make throughout our lives to let go.

I expected to receive many essays on letting go of things or bad habits. I was wrong. (Although Joan Scott’s humorous piece, “The Paper Room,” details the difficulty of getting rid of her paper obsession.) Is it possible we have all read so much about letting go of possessions—shoes and clothes, antique furniture, fine linens, nice china—and habits-–smoking, boozing, drugging, overeating—that such things no longer plague us?" Introduction to Letting Go