At the core of each of the twelve essays that make up this special issue of Mosaic is conflict. Conflict, moreover is at the core of all life-writing, suggests Editor Evelyn Hinz in her introduction to this edition. In many of the essays, there is also a clear connection to matters of politics, whether the essays focus on women, children, race, or war. Other areas of interest are the act of life-writing, the value of life-writing, and the internal dynamics of such material.