With pen in hand; the healing power of writing

Kliatt, July, 2003 by Anthony J. Pucci

KLAUSER, Henriette Anne. With pen in hand; the healing power of writing. Perseus. 262p. bibliog. c2003. 0-7382-0788-8. $15.95.

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In her introduction, Klauser, best-selling author of Writing on Both Sides of the Brain, explains that her experiences giving workshops and the letters that she receives are the genesis of her latest book. The fundamental premise of her work is a belief in the "power of the written word to soothe our souls and ease the anguish." Klauser does not provide much scientific validation for her premise. She refers to the work of James Pennebaker of the University of Texas who did some research on people who had lost their jobs. He concluded that those who wrote about their experiences recovered emotionally more quickly and found new jobs more quickly than those who did not write. Writing about emotional topics in general was found by Pennebaker to result in "an increase in germ-fighting lymphocytes" and a decrease in anxiety, stress levels, and depression.

The majority of the chapters involve the stories of individuals who, faced with traumatic events in their lives, turned to writing a journal and found some measure of consolation in the process. Among the individuals: a woman dealing with divorce, a woman whose child died, a priest who decides to leave the priesthood, a rape victim, a victim of domestic abuse, someone dealing with the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorism, and a Vietnam veteran. Most of the chapters give extensive excerpts from the journal writings of such individuals. At the end of the chapter, Klauser includes a short section called "Apply This" in which she suggests a way for the reader to use a similar approach in writing about the problems of their own lives as was used by the person who was the focus in that particular chapter. Such approaches include stream of consciousness and writing with the unschooled hand (i.e., using the left hand if right-handed).

Klauser's book is billed as "inspirational and practical." I found the stories compelling. They could well serve as inspiration for someone seeking solace through writing about an experience and their feelings as they deal with the aftermath of that experience. However, other than learning from examples, this book offers little practical instruction or advice. This book would be most helpful to those interested in the writing process or in psychology. Anthony J. Pucci, English Dept. Chair., Noh-e Dame H.S., Elmira, NY