Editor Paul Mandelbaum persuaded twenty-two authors to share their childhood writings and their treasured photographs. What he’s collected is a fascinating revelation of young creative minds at work, wrestling with early versions of ideas that were to take hold of their writings in later years.

Of course, the young Michael Crichton would describe what goes on in a dissection lab. Of course, Madeleine L’Engle would wonder about space and the meaning of eternity. Margaret Atwood would questions conventional female behavior, arguing for the right to smoke cigars. And Stephen King would write a macabre story of slicing and piercing at age nine.

First Words is an inspiration to budding writers, encouraging teachers, and just plain readers.

FIRST WORDS features the early works of: Margaret Atwood, Roy Blunt, Jr., Paul Bowles, Pat Conroy, Michael Crichton, Rita Dove, Clyde Edgerton, Gail Godwin, Allan Gurganus, Charles Johnson, Stephen King, Maxine Hong Kingston, Ursula K. Le Guin, Madeleine L’Engle, Jill McCorkle, Norman Mailer, Joyce Carol Oates, William Styron, Amy Tan, John Updike, Gore Vidal, Tobias Wolf

Asked if they had saved anything they had written as children, 42 writers responded–making a surprising collection from contributors who are still writing. Whimsically designed and accompanied by “then and now” photos, the book includes works by Asimov, Vidal, Updike, Oates, Auchincloss, and many other famour writers.