What does it mean to fail at an important performance, to be a failure, or to fail someone at something? Failure is a universal concept widely applicable to every aspect of writing studies. Perhaps it is the most universal concept applicable to writing studies (or life, for that matter). But what it means to fail can mean vastly different things to vastly different people at vastly different times. In this edited collection, 25 writing studies scholars use failure as a conceptual lens to reflect on their experiences as scholars and teachers. Their contributions address historical and theoretical treatments of failure, offer case studies of failure in teaching and research, and share brief (but bitter/sweet) narratives drawn from personal experiences in the field.