An American describes his experiences after his arrival in Hunan Province in 1982 to teach English, including wushu training and life in post-Mao China.
Sister John, A Carmelite nun, experiences painful headaches that create beautiful visions. When a tumor is discovered, she struggles with whether or not to have it removed and live without her inspiration.
Renne Sundheimer, child prodigy cellist, looses his talent suddenly at age eighteen. After years of teaching at a Southern California university, he finds another prodigy and becomes a juror in a murder trial.
Mark Salzman chronicles his first years teaching at Central Juvenile Hall, a lockup for Los Angeles's most violent teenage offenders, discussing what his students taught him about life.
