The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

by Stephen King

All I can say in my own defense is quot libros, quam breve tempus—so many books, so little time (and yes, I have the tee-shirt).

The humor here is black, but in my opinion, that’s often the best kind. Because—dig it—when it comes to death, what can you do but laugh?

In The Hair of Harold Roux, probably the best novel about writing ever published, Thomas Williams offers a striking metaphor, maybe even a parable, for how a story is born. He envisions a dark plain with a small fire burning on it. One by one, people come out of the dark to warm themselves. Each one brings a little fuel, and eventually the small fire becomes a blaze with the characters standing around it, their faces brightly lit and each beautiful in its own way.

A little bit of grace. That’s what a good dog is, you know. A little bit of grace.”