In the new edition of this deeply felt book, nine American writers and thinkers from different points on the religious compass discuss how their work is nourished by spiritual concerns. Diane Ackerman explains why she calls herself a "messenger of wonder" and how, in her own observations of the natural world, "there is a form of beholding that is a kind of prayer." Frederick Buechner makes an intensely personal journey to his roots as a novelist. Allen Ginsberg describes how his poetry is grounded in the Buddhist renunciation of "hand-me-down conceptions" and the meditative practice of "letting go of thoughts." Other contributors include David Bradley, Mary Gordon, Patricia Hampl, Hillel Levine, Hugh Nissenson, and Jaroslav Pelikan.