This book is a collection of short anecdotes about several famous literary figures that the author had the chance to interact with. The author himself is a renowned figure of his own right, being William Dean Howells, who is remembered today for his tenure as editor of The Atlantic magazine, as well as for his own prolific writings, including the Christmas story 'Christmas Every Day' and the novels 'The Rise of Silas Lapham' and 'A Traveler from Altruria'.