In Writers: 13 Vignettes, great American storyteller Barry Gifford paints portraits of famous writers caught in imaginary vulnerable moments in their lives. In prose that is funny, grotesque and a touch brutal, Gifford shows these writers at their most human, which is to say at their worst: they are liars, frauds, lousy lovers and drunks. In Gifford's house of mirrors, we are offered a unique perspective on this group of literary greats.Gifford asks: What does it mean to devote oneself entirely to art? And as an artist, what defines success and failure?