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The How

Notes on the Great Work of Meeting Yourself

by Yrsa Daley-Ward

Narrator Yrsa Daley-Ward

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Length 2 hours 56 minutes

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

“A brilliant and beautiful work. The author invites a reader to join an internal dialogue. True, Daley-Ward targets a specific age group and gender, but I want to say, she got the attention of this male approaching seventy and held it. Many fine quips and quotes, but the chapters “Why We Write It Down” and “Not the End of the Day” stood out for me. Personable, warm, truthful and encouraging. And with a phrase to live by: “Only you know How.””
— Doug • Bookstore1Sarasota

Summary
About the author
About the narrator

#42 in Bestselling Poetry Audiobooks

From the acclaimed poet behind bone, an exploration of how we can meet our truest selves, the ones we've always been meant to become

Yrsa Daley-Ward's words have resonated with hundreds of thousands of readers--through her books of poetry and memoir, bone and The Terrible; through her writing for Beyoncé on Black Is King; and through her always illuminating Instagram posts.

Now, in The How, Yrsa encourages readers to begin, as she puts it, the great work of meeting ourselves. This isn't the self we've built up in response to our surroundings, or the self we manufacture to please the people around us, but instead, our most intimate self, the one we visit in dreams, the one that calls to us from a glimmering future.

With a mix of short lyrical musings and her signature stunning poetry, Yrsa gently takes readers by the hand, encouraging them to join her as she explores how we can remove our filters, and see and feel more of who we really are behind the preconceived notions of propriety and manners we've accumulated with age. With beautiful and intriguing meditations, The How can be used to start conversations, to prompt writing, to delve deeper--whether you're solo, or with friends, on your feet or writing from the solace of home.

Self-Improvement Poetry Nonfiction

Yrsa Daley-Ward is a writer and poet of mixed Jamaican and Nigerian heritage and is the author of bone and The Terrible, the winner of the PEN Ackerley Prize. She splits her time between Brooklyn and London.

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Audiobook details

Author:
Yrsa Daley-Ward

Narrator:
Yrsa Daley-Ward

ISBN:
9780593457856

Length:
2 hours 56 minutes

Language:
English

Publisher:
Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group

Publication date:
November 2, 2021

Edition:
Unabridged

Libro.fm rank:
#9,822 Overall

Genre rank:
#42 in Poetry

Reviews

“In this gratifying exploration of the self, Daley-Ward excels at describing the indescribable…this work defies genre and features a beautiful blend of lyrical prose and bold poetry…. This is a tender, hopeful meditation.” –Publishers Weekly

"A heartfelt, artful manifesto focused on living fully and authentically... By turns simplistic, elegaic, and illuminative." –Kirkus

“The How is a brilliant reminder that the answers we seek are in ourselves... Yrsa Daley-Wards words [in The How]—as they’ve always been—are a guidepost, a reminder, and a welcome home.”—Refinery29

“We're used to seeing these messages on our social media feeds, but how do they translate into a book? In The How, Yrsa Daley-Ward brings these soothing words to life, in a book that feels like a meditation and a guide, a therapy session and a cup of chamomile tea.” –NPR

"Through a combination of lyrical prose and poetry, Daley-Ward encourages readers to peel back the layers we’ve built up based on societal expectations and get to know the real, unique, hidden person beneath. Although this is difficult work, Daley-Ward’s beautiful writing shows how important and inspiring it can be as well." –Book Riot

“Yrsa Daley-Ward is half Jamaican and half Nigerian, and her poetry book doubles as an exploration of self-help book about self-love. From Beyoncé to Instagram, she has had her powerful words reposted and shared countless of times. While Daley-Ward has penned beautiful and thoughtful words across social media, she continues to uplift others with her words of affirmations and encouragement.” –Book Riot, "15 of the Best Nigerian Books" Expand reviews

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