WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS

Let'sCallIt"TheTurnofthePhillips-HeadScrew"IwashappilyworkingonanoveltitledWhattheNightKnows,thepremiseofwhichwasalreadydescribedonvariousweb-sitepostings,whenanideaforaghoststoryslammedintomewithasmuchforceasanexuberant60-poundgoldenretrieverplayingbowl-dad-off-his-feet.WhenIpickedmyselfupfrommyofficefloor,Ididn'tneedastickyrollertoremovethedoghairfrommyclothes,butthestoryIhadbeenworkingonwasentirelySwifferedoutofmyheadtomakeroomfortheghoststory.Afteralertingmyeditorandmypublisherofmyintentions,IputasideWhattheNightKnowsandsettoworkenthusiasticallyonthenewidea.Overthenextfewmonths,asthemanuscriptpagespiledup,Ioccasionallysentlistsofpossibletitlestomyeditorandmypublisher,andtheysentlistsoftitlestome.Noneofuslikedthesametitle.Wedidn'targue.Wejustquietlydeclinedtobeenthusiasticaboutoneanother'ssuggestions.Weareagenteelbunch.Theonlyoneofustowakewiththeseveredheadofahorseinhisbedwasme,andthatwasunrelatedtothedisagreementabouttitles.I'mnotevensurewhosentthehorse'shead,althoughIdidfailtorenewmysubscriptiontoOprahmagazine,andtheircirculationdepartmentdoesplayhardball.Anyway,oneday,whenIwasdeepintothestilluntitledghoststory,IsuddenlyrealizedthatthetitleofthenovelIhadsetaside,WhattheNightKnows,wouldbeaperfecttitleforthenovelIwaswriting.Infact,itwasmoresuitedtotheghoststorythantothenoveltowhichithadbeenpreviouslyattached.IemailedmypublishersuggestingthatIstealthistitlefrommyself,andasIsentthatemail,Isimultaneouslyreceivedonefromher--whichmadethesamesuggestion.Thisseemedlikedestinyatwork,andifnotdestiny,thensomethingevenstranger,somethingwithwhichawisepersonwouldnotscrewaround.Now,theghoststory,WhattheNightKnows,isscheduledtolandinbookstoreson28December,andthebookIsetaside--buttowhichIwillreturn--doesn'thaveatitle.Soherewegoagain.SometimesIthinkthatlifeisnothingbutanever-endingseriesofproblemsandcrises,adarkjourneyoffrustrationandanxietyanddespair,andIreallyjustwanttohijackagasolinetankertruckanddriveitathighspeedoveracliff.ButthenIeatacoupleofReese'speanut-buttercups,andeverything'sswellagain.