Bringing the Devil to His Knees:
The Craft of Fiction and the Writing Life

Essays (2001)

edited by Charles Baxter and Peter Turchi

In Bringing the Devil to His Knees: The Craft of Fiction and the Writing Life, nineteen award-winning writers—all expert teachers—share the secrets of creating compelling stories and novels. A combination handbook, writer's companion, and collection of spirited personal essays, the book is filled with specific examples, hard-won wisdom, and compassionate guidance for both the developing and the experienced fiction writer.

Originally delivered as lectures in the writing classes at the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers, one of the most highly-respected writing programs in the country, these imaginative essays are rich with masterful examples, personal anecdotes, and hard-earned insights. Practicing writers—and readers—of fiction will find in these pages a number of surprising and original approaches to the writer's work by award-winning practitioners adept at teaching others what they know.

Purchase this book at Powell's Books

Learn more and read an excerpt at The University of Michigan Press