Provocative and personal writings on mythology, culture, and modern life by our century"s foremost interpreter and teacher of myth. Gathered together here for the first time are twelve eclectic, far-ranging, and brilliant essays exploring myth in all its dimensions: its history; its influence on art, literature, and culture; and its role in everyday life. Written at the height of Joseph Campbell"s career - and showcasing the lively and learned intelligence that made him the premier writer on mythology of our times - these essays investigate the profound links between myth and history, the arts, and modern life. From psychology to the occult, from Thomas Mann to the Grateful Dead, from Goddess spirituality to Freud and Jung, these playful and erudite writings reveal the threads of myth woven deeply into the fabric of our culture and our lives.