<P> <i>Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing</i> is a poetic, insightful, and ultimately moving exploration of 'the strange science of writing.' In a magnetic, irresistible narrative, Cixous reflects on the writing process and explores three distinct areas essential for 'great' writing: <i>The School of the Dead</i> -- the notion that something or someone must die in order for good writing to be born; <i>The School of Dreams</i> -- the crucial role dreams play in literary inspiration and output; and <i>The School of Roots</i> -- the importance of depth in the 'nether realms' in all aspects of writing.</P><P>Cixous's love of language and passion for the written word is evident on every page. Her emotive style draws heavily on the writers she most admires: the Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector, the Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva, the Austrian novelists Ingeborg Bachmann and Thomas Bernhard, Dostoyevsky and, most of all, Kafka.</P>