A conflict between two deeply rooted traditions raises the specter of anti-Semitism and provokes a struggle over a community's future of how to accommodate diverse but equally powerful traditions, and how small towns can compete with big money.

Inside the Writer's Mind propels readers into 30 very different stories, written for magazines, newspapers and the Internet. Among the stories Stephen G. Bloom dissects are profiles of accused murderers, a Little League umpire, a husband and wife who sign a suicide pact, a world-famous Brazilian plastic surgeon, and a notorious abortionist. Bloom writes about his job canning fruit cocktail, a disaster of a Caribbean cruise vacation, a lethal family of professional wrestlers, and an afternoon spent with Dr. Ruth.