Of course I personally think it’s interesting but I wouldn’t inflict it on anyone else at this point. I may post excerpts (or at least a synopsis) as I work my way though the revision process, but there’s not much on there about it quite yet. Thanks for asking, though!

I just found your fascinating site – thank you!

This book was recently recommended to me and I glanced through it but declined to follow it further, for some of the same reasons you outlined here. My initial response was that it didn’t do anything the I Ching couldn’t, in some way do. Maybe she does have a lot of good writerly advice, but that’s also to be found in other sources.

I have to comment on what you wrote:

” But a writer’s version? Are writers incapable of responding to myth and poetry? (I thought they were meant to like that kind of thing?)”

Absolutely! The I Ching is fabulously filled with poetry and imagery and myth – all really good juicy stuff! I wrote my first novel draft based on imagery and ideas from the I Ching. The manuscript is a mess mostly because of my lack of story-building training at that point, but it was a fascinating experiment – to write a story in a culture based loosely on Shang dynasty, involving myth, archetype, divination, ritual, etc.

So, if the author really felt this was true: “(And I remember that Jessica spoke of the I Ching offering counsel, peace of mind and confidence, but not inspiration.)” – that’s absolutely counter to my experience…

Thanks again for the site – lots of resources that I’ll go browse now!