PIPs Speak: Essays by Previously Important People is a collection of stand-on-their-own creative nonfiction essays that range from 500 to 750 words from a group of thirteen writers over age sixty. The essays cover the gamut from reactions to current events to thoughts on family, aging, children, and dying, very much in the spirit of Montaigne. Readers see into the world of the writer and recognize similarities to their own worlds. The prose varies from lyrical to poignant, quizzical to comic, incensed to at peace, reflecting the gamut of emotions being human evokes.

The essayists contributing to this collection have lived full professional lives. Rejecting the common societal view of "seniors" as background rather than players in a vibrant community, our writers represent the accumulation of thoughts and reflections obtained through the need to take on creative challenges throughout life. The book will appeal to those over sixty or anyone who wants to find their own voice or seek community in isolating times. Rather than one-way communication, essayists invite the reader into conversations on different aspects of life love, children, challenges, spirituality, rites of passage from birth to death. Finally, the short format makes writing a challenge and an opportunity, rather than an overwhelming onus, accessible to anybody who dreams of writing.