There are 22 stories in the anthology Visiting Hours, and as the editor, soliciting work and looking high and far for work, I think it seems natural that I was pretty familiar with a fair amount of the authors prior to finishing up my selection process. Pamela Erens was one that I was not at all familiar with. In retrospect, that was a serious flaw on my end, and certainly not on hers. The story "Gaarg. Gaarrgh. Gak." was one that grabbed me right away. Written in sections, it actually gives the reader some of the before - that is, the character, Daniel Aker, that ends up in the hospital, starts the story off in great health. 
The reader is witness to the automobile accident that led to Daniel being thrown through the windshielf, and entering the hospital with what would eventually be diagnosed as debilitating, yet not critical, damage to his brain and body.
What Erens explores that not many others leaned toward, was the idea of those visiting hours being extremely prolonged, and wondering if finding a way to end things for Daniel might or might not be better for him.
When he had finished taking his food Daniel held her eyes for a long moment. She did not look away as he had feared. "Poison me," he said with his eyes. "Find a way to put something in my meals. No one will know that it was you. Believe me, you'll be doing me a favor.
It's a powerful scene, the type that I was hoping I might encounter the deeper I got into this project, and the rest of the story is just as strong.
Pamela is very talented. Looking forward to reading this.
Posted by: Katrina Denza | May 13, 2009 at 04:07 PM