Every piece of clothing tells a story. After meeting for years, supporting each other's work, these colleagues decided to try something new—a collaboration. They dug into their closets and discovered that personal essays about clothes—on everything from fringe jackets and fishing vests to bridal tulle and Beatles T-shirts—have the power to evoke memories, not just for themselves, but for everyone that reads them.

Coming to Terms: The Collected Works of Jane Blankenship, an edited collection from Jane Blankenship and Janette Kenner Muir, is the story of one academic journey through self-discovery, intellectual development, and mentorship. It is a conversation that illustrates how, in Mary Catherine Bateson’s terms, one composes a life that has meaning and makes a significant difference in other lives as well. Jane Blankenship was an active member of the speech communication discipline, starting with...