There's a Buddhist saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." That teacher is Pamela Des Barres, known to her students -and to the world over -as Miss Pamela.

Miss Pamela has created a safe space for hundreds of women across the country and throughout the world to share their lives and express their most secret thoughts through writing. Their ages range from 20 to 75, and in her writing workshops the 20 year-olds can come across like wise-old sages, and the 70-year olds can appear like teenagers discovering their voices for the first time.

The magic of getting women together to share their stories has wrought this collection of powerful, moving writing. The pieces are funny, angry, joyful, sad, full of hope, tragedy, and transformation-each a revelation in its own right. You will marvel at the skill with which these women have told their tales based on the prompts Miss Pamela gives them, all written extemporaneously in 12 minutes. You may also discover yourself in these glimpses into the lives of your fellow humans.