The Book of Qualities by Ruth J Gendler

The Book of Qualities by Ruth J Gendler

From Beauty to Compassion, from Pleasure to Terror, from Resignation to Joy -- here is an insightful exploration of the rich diversity of human qualities. J. Ruth Gendler's evocative book has as its cast of familiar characters our own emotions, brought to life with a poet's wisdom and an artist's perceptive eye. In The Book of Qualities' magical community, Excitement wears orange socks, Faith lives in the same apartment building as Doubt, and Worry makes lists of everything that could go wrong while she is waiting for the train. In portraying the complexities of the psyche, Gendler uses the Qualities to bridge the distinctions between literature and psychology, and has created an original work that challenges us to look at our emotions in new and inspiring ways.

J.Ruth Gendler is a teacher, writer, and artist. She is the author of The Book of Qualities and the editor of Shifting Light: The Endless Cycle of Night and Day. The Book of Qualities has been produced as a two-act stage play, translated into German, Japanese, and Chinese, and excerpted widely in literary, psychological, and educational journals. Gendler writes about the arts, education, health, and books in addition to personal writings and poems. Her work has been shown all around the country. Throughout the past two decades, Gendler has taught writing and art in a variety of settings.

She's worked as an artist in residence with California Poets in the Schools and Young Audiences of the Bay Area, and she teaches writing and creative workshops all across the country. She graduated with a B.A. She received her bachelor's degree in English and communications from Stanford University and now lives in Berkeley, California.