In honor of his eightieth birthday, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author reflects on writing and the writing life, sharing his thoughts on such topics as the limits and attractions of nonfiction, the need for work habits, the pitfalls of early success, coping with bad reviews, and his fellow writers, including Melville, Faulkner, Hemingway, Updike, Oates, Baldwin, Salinger, and many others. Reprint. 20,000 first printing.