The Muse Only Wakes After Midnight

Book excerpt: The Muse Only Wakes After Midnight; A Collection of Stories Written While You Slept contains six short stories compiled over the last five years. They come at you from all directions, from the tale of a fleeing survivor of the World Trade Center attack to the life of a young man who left his home to accompany Jesus and his disciples during their trek into history in Jerusalem. In between, there is the story of a first car and another about a first job as a real cowboy in West Texas. There is one about the JFK assassination in Dallas and a humorous look at a young Connecticut scientist's experience living in an East Texas town. The title of the collection comes from the author's habit of retiring early, sleeping until the early morning hours and rising at one or two o'clock to write and complete research while others sleep. Most distractions are absent at that hour, particularly the telephone.