Writers and Writing presents profiles of novelists, poets, and playwrights from any culture and any age. Literature has great power–the power to transcend and the power to transform. Writers give voice to the spirit of the age. They teach not only the particulars but the universals of human experience. They shock sensibilities, pierce emotional barriers, envision future possibilities. Through the work of writers we confront our shadow selves–or take inspiration to become the very best we can become. Whether a writer’s imaginative realm is based on fantasy or realism, his or her artistic territory is nothing less than the human heart.

And what motivates those who bring us these insights? Since behind every literary creation is its creator, writers’ lives yield tremendous insights into the works of art they produce. Each author faces unique challenges, both artistic and personal, and the story of how writers face those challenges enriches the student’s understanding of literature–and of life.