We made a list of the books, articles, and movies that have inspired the creative, ethical, and editorial minds of Elephant over the years. These books aren't required, but the wisdom they touch on will help you get the most out of your Academy experience—and your path forward. 

You can wait until the course starts to dive in, or you can raid your local used or independent bookstore and spend the next three Saturdays on a creative binge (we recommend reading in the tub, with Epsom salts).  

We encourage you to avoid Amazon, which is gutting good middle-class jobs.

Dive in. Nerd out. We can't wait to nerd out with you.

Suggested Reading: 

• True Perception: The Path of Dharma Art, by Chögyam Trungpa
• Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, by Chögyam Trungpa
• Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, by Chögyam Trungpa
• Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott
• Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg
• The Listening Path, by Julia Cameron
• Max Perkins: Editor of Genius, by A. Scott Berg
• Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction, by Jon Franklin
• A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures, by Ben Bradlee
• "Cheap Words," The New Yorker (find it here)

Suggested Watching: 

• “Edward R. Murrow: This Reporter” (American Masters, 1990)
• "Page One: Inside The New York Times” (DVD and Hulu, 2011)
• “All the President’s Men” (1976)
• "Spotlight" (2015)
• "Dead Poets Society" (1989)
• "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle" (1994)

Suggested Writerly Resources: 

• Strunk & White: The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr.  
• Elements of Style
• New York Times Manual of Style & Usage
• Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Do you have books or movies that you swear by as a writerly resource? Leave them for the community in the comments!