They are widely read, thoughtful in their consideration of the changes in their own culture over the past decades, curious, fascinated and wise. This collection of articles by leading writers in Polish of the 20th century evokes the image of a life shared but not shared, living in the same building but in rooms facing different directions. The 25 writers, some of whom are represented by several essays, comment upon culture, social activism, politics, the role of the artist in a time of transition, the act of writing and having written, the cost of honesty and dishonesty, the terrorism of things past, the quality of hope and its disruptions, and the delicate and desperate act of setting pen to paper. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)