He dropped the rest of the Cokes into the grave and pulled out a white paper bag decorated with cartoons. I hadn’t seen one in years, but I recognized it — a McDonald’s Happy Meal. He turned it upside down and shook the fries and hamburger into the grave. “In my day, we used animal blood,” the ghost mumbled. “It’s perfectly good enough. They can’t taste the difference.” “I will treat them with respect,” Nico said. “At least let me keep the toy,” the ghost said.

He was beautiful the way an angel is beautiful - timeless, perfect, remote.

We'd just released a zebra in Las Vegas.

You have to be compelled to write. If you’re not, nothing else that you do matters.

I said hello to the poodle.

He offered to stop the tide for me once. He offered to build me a palace at the bottom of the sea.

Sorry we’re late,” Jason said. “Is this the guy who needs killing?