The Left-Handed Story

Praise for Nancy Willard "Willard's invention and lyricism, the splash of her wit, the glancing slyness of her dialogue, all have the fresh breath of a first-rate writer." ---New York Times Book Review "Willard's gift for seamlessly mixing the magical and the mundane puts her in the company of Anne Tyler." ---Publishers Weekly "Lilting, wacky, wistful . . . Willard possesses a delightfully wry voice, but she also has an ear for whimsy." ---Los Angeles Times "Imagine Marc Chagall as a novelist---creating works entirely of gorgeous, sunlit water and magical, poignant creatures---and you'll have an idea what it's like to read Sister Water." ---Chicago Tribune In The Left-Handed Story, award-winning poet, novelist, and children's author Nancy Willard presents an eclectic collection of essays. Expounding on topics as diverse as the many muses of writers, fairy tales, the origins and meaning of inspiration, and the astonishing and mysterious powers of the litany form in poetry, The Left-Handed Story will appeal to writers, avid readers, and established fans of Willard's work. Also included here is an interview with Harry Roseman, an assistant to the artist and filmmaker Joseph Cornell. Nancy Willard is the author of two novels, Things Invisible to See (Knopf 1984) and Sister Water (Knopf 1993), and eleven books of poetry, including Swimming Lessons: New and Selected Poems (Knopf 1998). She has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in both fiction and poetry, and her book A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers (Harcourt 1981) was awarded the Newbery Medal. She teaches in the English department at Vassar College.