Favorite Books There are piles of them, literally. I used to work in a used bookstore, which is fascinating the first five years and teaches the vanity of authorly ambition afterwards.
Favorite Authors Too many to name. For short stories, the authors I reread these days for pleasure are generally old favorites like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Wharton, and Arthur Schnitzler in particular, and I've been reading lots of the British authors of the 1890s--Hubert Crackanthorpe, H.D. Lowry, George Egerton, and George Moore. Also a fair amount of classic ghost and weird tales--H.P. Lovecraft of course (the fellow who started this kick), Algernon Blackwood, M.R. James, Arthur Machen, Oliver Onions, Lord Dunsany, Sheridan Le Fanu, Robert Chambers, and Mrs. Riddell mostly. I also read lots of SF and a fair amount of mysteries as well as mainstream literary fiction, and quite a lot of non-fiction of many sorts. (Poetry too, but I'm not enough of a damn fool to try to write it.)
Favorite Music Classical, jazz, ska, and blues especially. Also Latin (especially MPB) and African pop, but much else besides.
“We’ll miss you, Jake. Cheers!” We raised our drinks and took a sip. “I need a refill. Jake? Emma?” We shook our heads and watched Bill stride off, and I turned to her. “Hope you’ll have no trouble without me.” Emma shrugged and looked over toward her bos...
