Traffic Stop contains some of Heller's best poems written from the 1970s to 2009. Themes include being an assertive nontraditional woman, having close relationships, teaching college English and women's studies, loving nature, traveling, being involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement, mourning her father's death, being an artist/entertainer/writer, and experiencing folk music at different stages of her life. Some poems concern Chicago and the University of Chicago.