'Here is a brilliantly written book that demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of the work of Constantin Manassès, while going off the beaten track to throw a new look at his writing.' Anna Lampadaridi, Review of Byzantine Studies
1. The authorial voice of occasional literature; 2. Praising the emperor, visualizing his city; 3. The occasion of death: patronage and the writer on command; 4. In times of trouble: networks and friendships; 5. On an educational note: the writer as grammatikos; 6. Life, love and the past: self-quotation and recycling; 7. Occasional writing as a creative craft.