A "superb blend of personal essays and journalistic articles" on everything from fatherhood to writing workshops to jazz musicians ( Chicago Sun-Times). "At once subtle and dazzling," these pieces—collected from such publications as Esquire, Harper's Magazine, and GQ—serve as both a wide-ranging journey through topics like art and music and an autobiographical look into the life of one of our most acclaimed literary figures, the author of such books as Stop-Time and Body & Soul and a director of the renowned Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa ( Publishers Weekly). "[An] interesting and well-done anthology. Conroy takes on such topics as learning to play pool, fatherhood, the value of now-disappearing small towns in instilling family values, the enthusiasms of jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, and, of course, the Writers' Workshop." — Library Journal "Highly enjoyable and illuminating . . . Dogs Bark is simply one of the best books published in a long, long time." — Fort Worth Star-Telegram