Ambition

Luci Shaw is a poet, essayist, and Writer-in-Residence at Regent College, Vancouver. As the author of over thirty books, her writing has appeared in numerous literary and religious journals. In 2013 she received the Tenth Annual Denise Levertov Award for Creative Writing from Seattle Pacific University and Image. She is author of a new collection of poetry, Scape (2013), and Adventure of Ascent: Field Notes from a Lifelong Journey (2014). >> Jeanne Murray Walker was born in Parkers Prairie, a village in northern Minnesota. She is the author of eight books of poetry, most recently, Helping the Morning: New and Selected Poems (2014). Her ninth, Pilgrim, You Find the Path by Walking, will be out in 2018. Her memoir, The Geography of Memory (2013) tells the story of the decade she and her sister took care of a mother with Alzheimers. A mentor in the Seattle Pacific University low residency MFA Program, Jeanne teaches writing in prison and travels widely to give readings and run workshops.

What role should ambition play in our lives? Our culture generally buys the American Dream that yes, we can fulfill all our aspirations. But to seek personal power and fame in the competitive world of Western culture has a dark side. Ambition can be subtle and enticing, leading to great unhappiness.Questions about ambition are more urgent now than they have ever been. What is ambition, exactly, and is it okay to be ambitious? What part does self-esteem play in personal growth and productivity? Can the ego's drive to get ahead and make a name for oneself lead to obsession or a growing narcissism? Does the desire to do one's best constitute ambition, or faithfulness to one's calling? Can personal character and integrity be eroded by too much celebrity and success?The writers in this book address these complex questions about ambition in a variety of ways and in wonderfully different voices. The pieces range from personal musings to thought experiments and more formal reflections. With elegance and wisdom, the writers raise and reflect on the question that lies at our most intimate core of being and at the very center of our culture.