How James Wood Works.

The article profiles James Wood, a staff writer for "The New Yorker" and a professor of the practice of literary criticism at Harvard University. A discussion of Wood and his influence on literary criticism is presented. Frank Kermode, professor emeritus of literature at University College London, says Wood's work is a good guide to the mechanics of fiction. Peter Conrad, tutor in English, Christ Church, University of Oxford, is overjoyed that Wood seems to believe in practice as opposed to theory.