The Erotic Fire of the Unattainable has a subtle narrative wherein author Gay Walley weaves love with life, art with making a living, and inspiration with the banal realities of daily life. The book shows how passion is to be found in every moment, none the least in a passion for independence. Beginning with "Why Women Fight Pirates," Walley covers such disparate topics as "The Disappointments of Infidelity," "Talk in Love," "Writers," "Work and its Punishments," "The Importance of the Argument," "The Ocean," "New York," and ends on "Deathbed."

This unflinching narrative is a journey through an artist's mind, taking us outside the usual confines, to lovers and ex-husbands, traveling, solitude, money and the importance of rebellion.