“The Ideas” is just great fun, a wonderful answer to the horrible question often asked of writers, ‘Where do you get your ideas?’ I wouldn’t be surprised if some writers bring photocopies of this story to their next reading or book signing and pass it out to the first person who asks the inevitable question, wo which they will now be able to reply, ‘Why, I’m so glad you asked . . .’

Matthew Cheney

A deftly conceived allegory of obsession and inspiration.

Nick Gevers, Locus

Moving and thoughtful.

Rich Horton, Locus

When she left him, it was a long time before he cried. He kept himself busy: he cleaned his apartment, rearranging the furniture till there was no place where he could look and remember her sitting or standing there. He changed the curtains and shampooed the carpets and replaced his sheets, his pillows, his blankets and mattress, telling himself that they needed replacing anyway. He took ornaments and appliances to the Salvation Army, along with most of his clothes.

He let the ideas pile up in a basket on the kitchen table, ignoring the ever more elaborate seals, labels, commemorative stamps, the proliferation of exotic envelopes. He took a perverse pleasure in denying them his attention.

And after a few weeks, they stopped coming.