Each of the eight stories in this volume either center upon, or are tangential to, members of the arts. The first four, published in periodicals, are about a musician, an artist, and a singer. The last four, from The Troll Garden, concern an usher/dresser at Carnegie Hall, a concert going ex-musician, a sculptor, and a former singer. Despite the bent upon the arts, these could orient upon any slice of life. This compilation includes some of Cathers best work.