"From former editor-in-chief of New York magazine Adam Moss, a collection of illuminating conversations examining the very personal, rigorous, complex, and elusive work of making art. What is the work of art? In this guided tour inside the artist's head, Adam Moss traces the evolution of transcendent novels, paintings, jokes, movies, songs, and more. Weaving conversations with some of the most accomplished artists of our time together with the journal entries, napkin doodles, and sketches that were their tools, Moss breaks down the work-the tortuous paths and artistic decisions-that led to great art. From first glimmers to second thoughts, roads not taken, crises, breakthroughs, on to one triumphant finish after another"-- Provided by publisher.

Introduction --You, where are you? / Kara Walker -- Bread crumbs / Tony Kushner -- The child's way / Roz Chast -- Will your hand do the thing your mind wants? / Michael Cunningham -- God flows through him / Moses Sumney -- Later you'll understand / Sofia Coppola -- And there I was / Susan Meiselas -- A puzzle / Stephen Sondheim -- Waiting / Louise Glück -- You're never going to be someone else / Maria de Los Angeles -- Tribe / Nico Muhly -- Disappearing himself / Thomas Bartlett -- The sperm bank and the scroll / Twyla Tharp -- What did you do when you were a kid? / John Derian -- Enough about me/What about me? / Barbara Kruger -- What if Dr. Seuss Fucked Maya Angelou? / David Mandel -- There's only one way it could possibly be / Gregory Crewdson -- The unconscious is waiting to see if you mean it / Marie Howe -- What the hell could you ask Sinatra? / Gay Talese -- A kind of derangement / Cheryl Pope -- With beginner's eyes / Samin Nosrat -- Brain, hand, pencil, paper / Joanna Quinn & Les Mills -- Writing in the dark / Wesley Morris -- There, I've killed it / Amy Sillman -- Conjurer extraordinaire / Andrew Jarecki -- The song on his phone / Rostam -- Laugh here / Ira Glass -- I am a portal / Simphiwe Ndzube -- A "Rothko" on A1 / Dean Baquet & Tom Bodkin -- Itchy little breakthroughs / Max Porter -- Theory and fog / Elizabeth Diller -- Here today, gone today / Ian Adelman, Calvin Seibert -- The computer has a hand too / Tyler Hobbs -- It is always harder / Marc Jacobs -- Alter ego / Grady West -- The brain is a slide carousel / Will Shortz -- A map of her mind / Sheila Heti -- I am begrudgingly on the wall / Gerald Lovell -- Stay simple / Jody Williams & Rita Sodi -- Don't hold back / Taylor Mac & Machine Dazzle -- Arguing / David Simon -- It's your book, you can do whatever you want / George Saunders -- How great thou art / Suzan-Lori Parks.