Wand in the Word : Conversations with Writers of Fantasy

In a series of incisive interviews, Leonard S. Marcus engages thirteen master storytellers in spirited conversation about their life and work, providing inspiring reading for fantasy fans and future writers alike. What kind of child were you? When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? Why do you write fantasy? "Fantasy," writes Leonard S. Marcus, "is storytelling with the beguiling power to transform the impossible into the imaginable and to reveal our own 'real' world in a fresh and truth-bearing light." Few have harnessed this power with the artistry, verve, and imagination of the authors encountered in this compelling book. How do they work their magic? Finely nuanced and continually revealing, Leonard S. Marcus's interviews range widely over questions of literary craft and moral vision, as he asks thirteen noted fantasy authors about their pivotal life experiences, their literary influences and work routines, and their core beliefs about the place of fantasy in literature and in our lives.

LEONARD S. MARCUS is one of the world's most respected writers about children's literature. His essays, interviews, and reviews appear in the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, a regular column for PARENTING magazine, and numerous other publications. His books include A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION, AUTHOR TALK, STORIED CITY, DEAR GENIOUS: THE LETTERS OF URSULA NORDSTROM, and other titles for both adults and young readers. He says of THE WAND IN THE WARD, "Anyone can wave a wand. The real magic of each of these remarkable storytellers lies in the telling."