Real People — Alison Lurie

At an artistic Garden of Eden, one writer finds that serpents lurk in every corner.

The mansion is called Illyria, but for the writers and artists who flock there each summer, it may as well be paradise. Away from family, friends, and ordinary responsibilities, the creative spirit can flower, nurtured by the company of other artistic souls. Janet Belle Smith''s husband doesn''t understand why she can''t write at home - or really, for that matter, why she must write at all - but for Janet, the reason is clear. Only in Illyria can she be herself.

But as the writer mingles with her fellow artists - including a Marxist novelist, a Beat poet, a wild-man sculptor - she begins to fear that the ""real"" her isn''t who she expected, and Illyria is not the peaceful kingdom it appears to be. This creative paradise is rotting from inside out, and if Janet doesn''t move quickly, she''ll be trapped in the rubble when the walls come tumbling down.