Personal Matters
Introducing Myself 3
Being Taken for Granite 8
Indian Uncles 10
My Libraries 20
My Island 24
On the Frontier 28

Readings
All Happy Families 33
Things Not Actually Present: On The Book of Fantasy and J. L. Borges 38
Reading Young, Reading Old: Mark Twain's Diaries of Adam and Eve 46
Thinking about Cordwainer Smith 57
Stress-Rhythm in Poetry and Prose 70
Rhythmic Pattern in The Lord of the Rings 95
The Wilderness Within: The Sleeping Beauty and "The Poacher" 108
Off the Page: Loud Cows: A Talk and a Poem about Reading Aloud 117

Discussion and Opinions
Fact and/or/plus Fiction 127
Award and Gender 141
On Genetic Determinism 152
About Feet 160
Dogs, Cats, and Dancers: Thoughts about Beauty 163
Collectors, Rhymesters, and Drummers 171
Telling is Listening 185
The Operating Instructions 206
"A War without End" 211

On Writing
Matter of Trust 223
The Writer and the Character 235
Unquestioned Assumptions 240
Prides: An Essay on Writing Workshops 250
The Question I Get Asked Most Often 261
Old Body Not Writing 283
The Writer on, and at, Her Work 289

Credits 303