Foreword / Robert Atwan --
Introduction / Susan Orlean --
La vie en rose / Roger Angell --
The sea of information / Andrea Barrett --
Storm county / Paul Crenshaw --
Joyas voladoras / Brian Doyle --
Sister Bernadette's barking dog / Kitty Burns Florey --
The comfort zone / Jonathan Franzen --
If memory doesn't serve / Ian Frazier --
Against exercise / Mark Greif --
Small silences / Edward Hoagland --
Small rooms in time / Ted Kooser --
Speak, hoyt-schermerhorn / Jonathan Lethem --
Mastering the art of French cooking / E. J. Levy --
Contributor's note / Michael Martone --
My friend Lodovico / David Masello --
Living will / Danielle Ofri --
Dog days / Sam Pickering --
Dog trouble / Cathleen Schine --
Old faithful / David Sedaris --
Six seconds / Paula Speck --
Skill display in birding groups / Bert O. States --
The prince of possibility / Robert Stone --
Dining with robots / Ellen Ullman --
Consider the lobster / David Foster Wallace --
Satin worship / Holly Welker.