Original essays from 46 of today's most celebrated writers that explores lit. & the literary life. The reflections range from the craft of writing to the intersection of art & the world. The writers are Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, Nat. Book Award recip., best-selling authors & teachers; novelists, poets, & playwrights. Includes: Russell Banks, Saul Bellow, Carolyn Chute, E. L. Doctorowe, Louise Erdrich, Richard Ford, Gail Godwin, Mary Gordon, Gish Jen, Diane Johnson, Jamaica Kincaid, Barbara Kingsolver, Hans Koning, David Mamet, Walter Mosley, Joyce Carol Oates, Marge Piercy, Annie Proulx, Roxana Robinson, James Salter, William Saroyan, Susan Sontag, Scott Turow, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Alice Walker, & Elie Wiesel.