Daugherty considers the principles of literary art in a series of essays that focus on the nature of artistic vision and the creative individual's relationship to the world. The book reads like a master class on writing as practice.

TRACY DAUGHERTY is the author of, most recently, The Last Love Song: A Biography of Joan Didion. He has also published four novels, six short story collections, and a book of personal essays as well as biographies of Donald Barthelme and Joseph Heller. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English and Creative Writing at Oregon State University.