"Each lively and highly readable interview ends with advice to would-be writers. . . .An essential volume for fantasy readers of all ages." — BOOKLIST (starred review)"Fantasy," writes Leonard S. Marcus, "is storytelling with the beguiling power to transform the impossible into the imaginable, and to reveal our own ‘real’ world in a fresh and truth-bearing light." Few have harnessed this power with the artistry, verve, and imagination of the authors encountered in this compelling book. How do they work their magic? Leonard S. Marcus’s incisive interviews range over questions of literary craft and moral vision as he asks thirteen noted fantasy authors about their pivotal life experiences, their literary influences and work routines, and their beliefs about the place of fantasy in literature and in our lives.Includes interviews with:— Lloyd Alexander— Franny Billingsley— Susan Cooper— Nancy Farmer— Brian Jacques— Diana Wynne Jones— Ursula K. Le Guin— Madeleine L’Engle— Garth Nix— Tamora Pierce— Terry Pratchett— Philip Pullman— Jane Yolen

"Each lively and highly readable interview ends with advice to would-be writers. . . .An essential volume for fantasy readers of all ages." — BOOKLIST (starred review)"Fantasy," writes Leonard S. Marcus, "is storytelling with the beguiling power to transform the impossible into the imaginable, and to reveal our own ‘real’ world in a fresh and truth-bearing light." Few have harnessed this power with the artistry, verve, and imagination of the authors encountered in this compelling book. How do they work their magic? Leonard S. Marcus’s incisive interviews range over questions of literary craft and moral vision as he asks thirteen noted fantasy authors about their pivotal life experiences, their literary influences and work routines, and their beliefs about the place of fantasy in literature and in our lives.Includes interviews with:— Lloyd Alexander— Franny Billingsley— Susan Cooper— Nancy Farmer— Brian Jacques— Diana Wynne Jones— Ursula K. Le Guin— Madeleine L’Engle— Garth Nix— Tamora Pierce— Terry Pratchett— Philip Pullman— Jane Yolen LEONARD S. MARCUS is one of the world’s most respected writers about children’s literature. His essays, interviews, and reviews appear in the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, a regular column for PARENTING magazine, and numerous other publications. His books include A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION, AUTHOR TALK, STORIED CITY, DEAR GENIUS: THE LETTERS OF URSULA NORDSTROM, and other titles for both adults and young readers. He says of THE WAND IN THE WORD, "Anyone can wave a wand. The real magic of each of these remarkable storytellers lies in the telling."