Negotiating with the Dead

What do we mean when we say that someone is a writer? Is he or she an entertainer? A high priest of the god Art? An improver of readers' minds and morals? And who, for that matter, are these mysterious readers? In this wise and irresistibly quotable book, one of the most intelligent writers now working in English addresses the riddle of her art: why people pursue it, how they view their calling, and what bargains they make with their audience, both real and imagined. To these fascinating issues Margaret Atwood brings a candid appraisal of her own experience as well as a breadth of reading that encompasses everything from Dante to Elmore Leonard. An ambitious artistic inquiry conducted with unpretentiousness and charm,Negotiating with the Deadis an unprecedented insider's view of the writer's universe.

Margaret Atwood is the author of more than thirty books, including fiction, poetry, and essays. Her most recent works include the novels <b>Oryx and Crake</b><i> </i>and the Booker Prize—winning <b>The Blind Assassin</b><i> </i>as well as the collections <b>Wilderness Tips</b><i> </i>and <b>Good Bones and Simple Murders</b><i>. </i>Ms. Atwood lives in Toronto.