'The pages sparkle with lines that make a reader glance up, searching for an available ear with which to share them' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW From acclaimed author Ursula K. Le Guin, a collection of thoughts-always adroit, often acerbic-on aging, belief, the state of literature, and the state of the nation. Ursula K. Le Guin on the absurdity of denying your age: 'If I'm ninety and believe I'm forty-five, I'm headed for a very bad time trying to get out of the bathtub.' On cultural perceptions of fantasy: 'The direction of escape is toward freedom. So what is "escapism" an accusation of?' On breakfast: 'Eating an egg from the shell takes not only practice, but resolution, even courage, possibly willingness to commit crime.'