In this collection of short works that defy easycategorization, Margaret Atwood displays, incondensed and crystallized form, the trademark wit andviruosity of her best-selling novels, brilliantstories, and insightful poetry. Among the jewelsgathered here are Gertrude offering Hamlet a pieceof her mind, the real truth about the Little RedHen, a reincarnated bat explaining how Bram Stokergot all wrong, and thefive methods of making a man (such as the"Traditional Method": "Take some dust offthe ground. Form. Breathe into the nostrils thebreath of life. Simple, but effective!")There are parables, monologues, prose poems, condensedscience fiction, reconfigured fairy tales, andother miniature masterpieces--punctuated withcharming illustrations by the author. A must for herfans, and a wonderful gift for all who savor the artof exquisite prose, marks the first time thesewritings have been available in a trade edition in theUnited States.