On Teaching and Writing Fiction

This unique collection of previously uncollected work addresses every aspect of fiction writing, from the writer's vision to his or her audience; from the use of symbolism to swear words; from the mystery of the creative process to the recognizable truth it seeks finally to reveal. Stegner explores the process of composition as it relates to the writer's evolving character, what demands he makes on himself both as a member of the species and as a citizen of culture, his responsibilities as a serious artist, and the spiritual rigors of the life it describes.