In my story "Liquid Air," neon attracted me because it reminded me of being stuck in another era, of reverting back to some specific place in time that straddled the new and the old. For me, there’s something kind of creepy about relics that won’t die and continue to loom over us, larger than life and taking on a life of their own. I like the idea of existing on the edge of anything: insanity, indecency, immorality, death. I wanted to explore all of these thoughts through something as intangible as gas. My husband, David Effress, was at one time a neon signmaker. His multiple lives have generated numerous story ideas for me and given me strange dreams.