At the heart of this striking collection is the title work: a candid and wrenching exploration of Castle's relationship, during her graduate school years, with a female professor. At once hilarious and rueful, it is a pitch-perfect recollection of the fiascos of youth: how we come to own (or disown) our sexuality; how we understand (or fail to) the emotional needs and wishes of others; how the ordeals of desire can prompt a lifelong search for self-understanding. With The Professor: And Other Writings Terry Castle cements her reputation as a truly remarkable writer: distinctive, wise, frank, incredibly funny and utterly fearless.