Originally published: New York : Atlantic Monthly Press, c1989.

Includes bibliographical references.

Emergent visions -- In the company of friends -- From strength to strength -- Opening to the world -- Partnerships -- Give and take -- Making and keeping -- Caretaking -- Multiple lives -- Vicissitudes of commitment -- Fits and starts -- Enriching the earth.

This extraordinary book explores that act of creation that engages us all--the composition of our lives. Through the comparative biographies of herself and four of her close friends, Mary Catherine Bateson provides a fascinating framework for her inquiry into the creative potential of complex lives, where energies are not narrowly focused toward a single ambition but rather are continually refocused and redefined. Each of the women in Composing a Life faced discontinuity at periods in her life, yet was rich in professional achievement and personal relationships. Bateson's life-affirming conclusion is that life is an improvisational art form, and that the interruptions, conflicted priorities, and exigencies that are a part of all our lives can and should be seen as a source of wisdom. Important and empowering, Composing a Life will change lives.