This annual anthology overcomes the problem that plagues the beginning writer: name recognition. Michael Pettit presents a generous collection of pieces by renowned writers juxtaposed with work by their outstanding students, providing a kind of creative tension between teacher and pupil, a sponsorship, and a place for displaying remarkable new talent.

Distinguished writers Andrea Barrett, Marvin Bell, Madeleine Blais, Stephen Dobyns, Barry Hannah, Jane Hirshfield, Garrett Hongo, Andrew Hudgins, Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Margot Livesey, Herbert Woodward Martin, William Mathews, Robert Olmstead, Molly Peacock, Pattiann Rogers, Dave Smith, and David St. John gather in The Writing Path 1 to celebrate their most talented students.

For this first volume, faculty at 1994 writing conferences across the country were asked to select work by their best students. The teachers first introduce these students, describing their own sense of discovery, then present examples of their most recent work followed by the students' work. The result is an invigorating sampling of the latest work by both established and up-and-coming writers energized by mutual enthusiasm.