A little light, a little wonder, some skepticism, some awe, some squinting, some je ne sais quoi. Pick a thing up, study it, shake it, skip it across a still surface to see how much felt and lively life got baked into it. Does it sail? Observe. See what can be done. Lorrie Moore has been writing criticism for over 30 years, and her forensically intelligent, witty and engaging essays are collected together here for the first time.