By education and former trade, I am a University of Chicago-trained economist. I don't begrudge the discipline's standing as the dismal science. Neither do I worship at the alter of laissez-faire economics. Not any longer. Reality is funny. It gets in the way of theory and dogma. I still, however, dutifully remit my annual invoices to The Economist.?It's nice to know the travails of the world. That and?I can still readily answer any question with the proviso of "It depends".

Old habits like old soldiers . . .

I write stories I'd like to read, prejudiced to no particular style, to no particular outlook, finding lovely things in the writings of, say, Orwell, Jim Thompson, and Faulkner. Equally. It may take a bit longer to get through Mr. Faulkner's stories, but I eventually get there. My writing probably reflects that position.

Regardless, Twain was right: writing's a real snap - all you've got to do is figure out which words to keep, which words to get rid of.

And a good editor.

And patience.

And some luck.

And ...

Kind Regards,

R. Nicholas Haaj