You make the art that only you can make. You tell the stories only you can tell.

Neil Gaiman just gets it, man.

This collection of miscellaneous non-fiction writings consists of various speeches, articles, essays, and introductions, and what it turns out to be is sort of a hodge-podge portrait of Gaiman as a writer and reader. Not every essay was of interest to me, and I did skip some of them that covered books I’d never read (and didn’t want spoiled . . . also, the one about Dogsbody Neil tells the reader to skip straight up and then come back to it once you’ve read it).

My favorite essays were the ones originally given as speeches, because those are the ones where he gets the most passionate about reading, writing, libraries, and making art. He is really good at giving speeches, and he hits that sweet spot so few speakers and writers manage, where the speech is legitimately motivational without descending into cloying treacle, and at the same time gives useful, practical advice. I would buy this collection just for those alone. He is also fiercely protective of the importance of things often scorned: libraries, comics, fairytales, etc.

He’s got this attitude in everything he does that I just admire so much. He’s not afraid to let his intelligence show, and to trust his readers to understand his stories, but never descends into snobbery. He’s my kind of dude.

Note, this collection, as great as it is, isn’t meant to be read in one go, and you will tire of the writing if you try to consume it that way. It’s best read in bits and pieces, picked up here and there for a little shot of inspiration.

Also note, that wicked Terry Pratchett essay is here and finishes off the book, the one Gaiman wrote right before Sir Terry’s death. I’ve read it several times now, and it never fails to make me sad.