Introduction 1
Hair Marcia Aldrich 1
Random Reflections of a Second-Rate Mind Woody Allen 11
Graven Images Saul Bellow 23
States of Reading Sven Birkerts 31
Life with Daughters: Watching the Miss America Pageant Gerald Early 46
The Art of the Nap Joseph Epstein 70
Skunk Dreams Louise Erdrich 93
The Test of Time William H. Gass 108
What s Wrong with Animal Rights Vicki Hearne 135
Waiting Edna O Brien 148
Beauty Scott Russell Sanders 156
The Page Turner Lynne Sharon Schwartz 169
One Violent Crime Bruce Shapiro 176
Gray Area: Thinking wish a Damaged Brain Floyd Skloot 194
Striptease Lauren Slater 211
Listening for Silence Mark Siouka 230
After Amnesia Joyce Carol Oates 244
The Break Cynthia Ozick 261
Six Days: Some Rememberings Grace Paley 267
Mother Tongue Amy Tan 275
The Gangster We Are All Looking For Le Thi Diem Thuy 284
A Visit to Camelot Diana Trilling 300
Civilian Tobias Wolff 330